Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 3, 1982, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press Freedom of Trade Equality of civil rights Liberty of religion published six Days a week at 300 Carlton Winnipeg r3c 3c1 by Canadian newspapers company limited Telephone 9439331 Winnipeg free press 1872 Winnipeg Tribune 1890 Donald Nicol publisher John Dafoe editorial Page editor Murray Burt managing editor Rudy Redekop controller compassion but no Cash the speech from the throne which opened the second session of the new Manitoba legislature reflects a govern ment which at the that it has More compassion than the speech is full of declarations of the governments Devotion to to activism and to innovation in reallocating its limited but the cold breath of reality is heard towards the the the speech will reflect a genuine commitment to a responsible and Active role by the Public sector within the limits of the provinces financial since the speech also makes it Clear that the governments financial in the coming year will not be there is not much reason to expect great things out of the second no one could reasonably expect any More at a time when All governments Are facing a financial there would be More grounds for patience with Premier Howard Paw Leys if More of its priorities for the coming session reflected the desire for compassion and effectiveness described in the speech and fewer of them responded to the new democratic party tired the capital proposals aimed at providing both More jobs and permanent benefits for Manitoba Are generally Well directed million for an improved Home insulation million for provincial capital million to be matched by the City of Winnipeg and million for which needs More jobs if not More those projects add up to about at the same the government once to launch the provincial Oil exploration company it Calls if it holds to its earlier Promise to invest million in Oil exploration through that it will be putting almost the same amount of Money into an area where private Enterprise is doing the Best Job in Manitoba history As it is allocating to All its other new Job creating there is not the slightest indication that provincial funds invested in the Oil Industry at the moment would provide anything like the return in jobs and benefits for Manitoban that the same amount would in any number of other the proposal May vindicate the governments claims to it demonstrates no Howe for either the unemployed or the the expansion of the Manitoba Public insurance Corpora Tion into life insurance and pension plan management services also looks More like an ideological knee Jerk than a response to Public both Fields Are fully served by private Enterprise and the appearance of a new government even on a competitive serves Little evident purpose other than to make life a Little More difficult for those already in the when Money is one Way for a government to appear activist is to establish More departments and appoint More committees and Pawley promises to follow that line with a there will be two new departments of doubtful one responsible for housing and one for workplace both Are important areas both require More effective government action neither requires the expensive and expanded bureaucracy that goes along with the creation of new another Way to look Active isto repeat proposals already the new speech from the throne echoes proposals at the beginning of the last session to introduce conflict of interest a Freedom of information a new payment of wages and new policies on wild Rice and among the government promises to reintroduce legislation limit ing the ownership of Farmland in whether it will be the same Bill which was allowed to die under criticism in the last session remains to be seen but the speech makes it Clear that it will restrict the rights of Canadian citizens not living in the province to own Manitoba farm some of the most hopeful themes in the speech from the throne arise from last months economic Summit in Portage la the government will attempt to encourage greater consultation Between employers and employees and to increase worker involvement in it will work with business and labor to improve More doubtful is the proposal to get the province involved in providing risk capital to Small and medium sized Busin a judgment on that proposal must await the Specif the buy Manitoba program announced in the speech makes More sense than one proposed before the which Wouldhave required and perhaps private to give local contractors and suppliers a 10percent Edge on the new approach promises to streamline purchasing procedures and provide opportunities for local firms without the rigid Price guidelines that both business and labor consider to be counterproductive for Given the governments limited scope for it is not surprising that the speech from the throne is filled with a Good Deal of the appointment of a provincial psychiatrist is no doubt of but in Normal times it would hardly rate a the throne to improve ments in election financing legislation May turn out to be useful but it is scarcely necessary to Tell Manitoban at this stage that the right to vote is a vital aspect of the democratic rights of All As the substance behind the padding and the puffery will Only be revealed As the new session at the Hawleys government looks like one which is acutely aware of the financial constraints under which it is the government will undoubtedly not be activist enough to please the party it will not be As compassionate As it would like to or As it could be if it had its priorities a Little More whether it As be effective depends very much on How willing it is to face the economic and financial reality which confronts it at the unions hit a Brick Wall the new Deal for Logan the Deal concluded among mayor Norrie and the Federal and provincial governments Over the development of the Logan car area recognizes an irreconcilable difference among the it allows them to go their separate ways on Logan without tearing apart the rest of the Core area it May permit a badly needed rethinking of the purposes of the joint Enterprise and arouse a greater determination of the participants to pursue those purposes without getting in each others the once it receives the approval of City will free the provincial government to build whatever housing it wants and can afford to build on the part of the Logan site that lies East of the Salter it will free the Industrial development promoters of the Federal govern ment and the Core area office to Clear and Market the Large Industrial site West of the Bridge and to Dangle incentives in front of employers who might want to build plants elsewhere in the Core until the province actually announces a residential development plan and a construction the remaining Logan car residents must still hover in uncertainty about the future of their they have fought off the destruction of the residential but their Long Battle will not be Over until they have ensured its revitalization and the Deal invites them to concentrate their very effective lobbying Effort on the which has been their Friend at court and which now has a free hand to deliver the residential neighbourhood it has championed All the As outlined to the Council by includes the dropping of provincial objections to two of his pet the southward Extension of Central Park and the Thomson and Pope building at Portage and standing on part of the extended Central Park turns out less historically important than it was when the province was trying to beat Norrie into submission Over the Deal also provides for read location among other parts of the Core area agreement of the Money saved by abandoning the Eastern part of the Logan Industrial Norrie told the Council part of that Money would be available for redevelopment work North of Portage or along main though it appeared from documents he presented at the same time that his Federal and provincial partners were less certain about where that Money would be a fresh series of bureaucratic and political manoeuvres can be expected Over the allocation of that most of the Money saved by scaling Down the Industrial Park is to become a Industrial development fund which can be applied to luring Industrial plants either onto the site West of Salter Bridge or onto other Core area the amount is but since it can be applied to anything a potential investor requires not Only to it May prove to be even More helpful than the Industrial Park in attracting the mechanics of the Core area policy which permit any member to veto another demand that All the elements of the Deal be accepted Norrie is dropping his veto on the scaling Down of the Industrial Park in return for All the other adjustments to the agreement and the arrangements on Central Park and he would therefore not hear of the councillors quickly Clearing the Way for Logan housing and considering at More Leisure the other parts of the the councillors Are certainly entitled to hear the just Ifica such As they May for the Way the Money saved on Logan is being but they cannot expect to alter the terms of the Deal now that the three members of the policy committee have put their names to the Council is As with an accomplished the difference this time is that there has been Public discussion of some of the issues involved before the mayor came Down from the Mountain with the etched Stone tablets for the councils by Frank Walker special to the free press Montreal a group which earned itself Over the past decade an awesome reputation for hard nosed bargaining in 1972 it brought the province to near chaos the common front of Quebec Public sector workers has just Learned what it is like to hit a Brick Wall at High even sub Stantial concessions the Union negotiators had agreed to a oneyear wage freeze for All but the lowest paid work ers for the first year and for minimal wage increases in the second and third got them Rollback when negotiations broke off this the unions found themselves where they were at the facing a Savage Rollback of minimal increases and Adverse changes in working the government had made one important the wages of the lowest paid workers would be Frozen for the first three months of the new rather than Cut by 20 per two other earning under a would be rolled Back five and ten per cent respectively in the first three months of the rest of the who include nurses and professionals would Bear the full Brunt of the a to take one would Only earn in 1985 a week More than he or she does now and would carry a heavier work there May still be strikes in the Public sector but the possibility be comes increasingly Montreal French Catholic teachers it is to but instead of the 80 per cent in favor called for by the the vote in favor was Only per the decision by the most militant of the Public sector the social affairs federation of the con federation of National Trade to Call off this weeks which would have paralysed Montreal general was an indicator of weakness rather than the common front negotiators know they Are in a Nowin they the government will impose a settlement by decree and accompany such a settlement with costly court heavy fines for unions and Union members if they do not but do not agree to accept the government the settlement will be imposed by decree Louis president of the que Bec federation of May declare that the Battle has just but it is difficult to see what kind of a Buttle it will Premier Rene who does not make decisions has made one in this Case the Public sector unions Are to be brought to enough of strikes there is another threat on the Hori Zon confronting the Public sector work the Public and the politicians have had enough of Hospital free collective bargaining seems to be a thing of the As far As the nonprofessional Hospital workers Are con or indeed the professional but the government seems to be thinking along even More drastic Treasury Board president Yves Berube has suggested that negotiations with the Public sector workers should be replaced by a system that would link Public service wages to those paid in private we must find a method to Stop the trauma caused Quebec society by pub Lic sector he there is much to be said for be rubes at least a system of the kind he proposed would end the farce of the so called collective bar gaining which we have seen with Public sector workers in recent it is hypocritical to Call such proce dures free collective they Are no such they Are unilateral decisions which make a mockery of the there is truth in a Union leaders remarks that what has happened in the current round of negotiations reveals the authoritarian colors of Levesques adm Nistra an alternative system is necessary but it is ironic that the which came into office promising a new Era in dealing with the Public sector should be the one which is considering not dealing with them at irrational Levesque and his ministers have As the liberals did before that bargaining with the Public sector in this province is an irrational but that process became irrational not just because the common front negotiators were both Liberal and parti quebecois administrations have contributed to creating in the Public sector a privileged group whose wages and working conditions have Little relationship to the Community in which they both parties made concessions and agreed to settlements in order to gain for themselves political Robert when he was pre did so to win an Levesque did it to win a there is Little Good to be said for either it would be foolish to try and guess what is Likely to happen before the government finally settles unilaterally the current the government has warned it will come Down hard on any Union which even the possibility of desertification or of eliminating their source of funds by re fusing to collect dues has been discus Laberge says the unions Are More United than if they it is a Unity born of not a whim Urban affairs minister Eugene Kos tyra has recently been subjected to a great Deal of editorial heat for his interference in City planning it is interesting to note in this regard that the minister is being accused of whimsy for taking action on matters which have previously been the object of much Public the issues addressed by Kostyra in his recent letter to mayor Bill Norrie regarding plan Winnipeg Strong Mea sures for suburban greater emphasis on Public transit Ami relocation of the up marshalling Yards have All been advocated repeatedly by Many individual writers to the free As Well As interested Ever since it was first introduced in concerns have be expressed Eugene Kostyra that the development plan stops Short of adopting specific policies to counter act the effects of slow population growth and intercity the so Cial planning Council of Winnipeg has produced several briefs and Public statements which criticize plan Winni Peg for its Lack of a specific statement of intent or Clear policy and recommends that the plan be amended to include an explicit policy statement advocating suburban containment and intercity revitalization before it passes into the Council also reflects the views of Many Winni Eggers when it states that revitalization in of Winnipeg is made immeasurably More difficult by the presence of the up marshal Ling plan Winnipeg in re social planning Council of Winni it appears that Kostyra recommendations to City Council do not arise from his own but in response to widespread Public the recent letter from Carter of the Manitoba society of advocating rail re tends to support the idea that Kostyra has a great Deal of Public support on City planning it is High time for Petty wrangling Over governmental jurisdictions to Stop and for the two Levels of government involved to undertake some serious cooperative Effort in the interests of the Public they Are elected to Kostyra has shown himself to be open to Public is it asking too much for City Council to do likewise Venema Winnipeg the Winnipeg free press welcomes letters from writers must give their name and names will be used and letters Are subject to a giant step the article cancer society having trouble filling Hsc october 26 and the letter can cer society clarifies free november 6 by Murray executive director of the Canadian cancer prompted me to write of my experience of Lennox Bell having had occasion to Avail myself of this Fine facility in your City recent i have the highest regard for the convenience and Security of the i was there during the final Days of my terminally ill being Able to be so near the health sciences Centre was indeed a easy Access to the Hospital from the without having to go is so the Chapel is a quiet place for prayer and when errands needed to be attended taxis and buses were always the City of Winnipeg and certainly the health sciences Are to be highly this is a giant step towards sincere consideration for the Comfort and convenience of the cancer especially when that patient requires someone to bring them in for treatment and to stay with please do spread the word about this marvellous there Are Friendly faces 24 hours a the night shift is especially comforting after a Long an understanding a kind and a hot cup of Tea before retiring Are Welcome i was there four Days and four not As a but to be near my you 1 am a cancer and have been for the past three i understand the needs of the patient and the Many thanks to All the wonderful people at Lennox Bell As Well As to the health sciences Elsie Veale Arizona excellent Job f read the column by Arlene billin Koff politicians Duck Road safety re free november i thought this was an excellent coverage of a very important social and one in which the political issues constantly get in the Way of reasonable i do not always agree with what i read in the free nor think that those who provide the coverage do a Good Many of your do an excellent Job and i thought i would let you know about one such a my Winnipeg Seatbelt save i was the innocent victim of a serious automobile in which both cars involved were deemed by attending police to be i thank my parents for saving me from serious they have always instilled in me the habit of wearing a no matter How much i Dis liked the it would have been easy to ignore the lifesaving after my trip took me no More than 300 Yards from Home to get the Accident occurred 100 Yards Louise Osborn Winnipeg White elephant while Many of us in the Seine River school division Are struggling to sur Vive through this five of our eight with the Sanction of minister of education Maureen hem have voted to go ahead with a Grade 7tograde 12 French regional school at lie de the pupils of grades 8 and 9 will be students from he de of which the enrolment As of 1982 stood at six students Grade 9 11 Grade 8 and 18 students for Grade a total of 35 grades 11 and 12 students will be bused from Adolphe and at there is a total of 66 students enrolled at precious blood and Louis Riel for French classes from these simple arithmetic tells us we Are building a school for 101 at a proposed Cost of million in and no doubt this figure is substantially higher by in the Noel Ritchot school was built in Norbert for a capacity of 350 As of ifl82 there Are 172 students enrolled eleven Miles from lie de Chene in two schools were closed this september because it was not economically feasible to keep them they were Van with an enrol ment of 326 and Prendergast with an enrolment of 272 i am not prepared to subsidize this White elephant that is being thrust upon i am prepared to withhold my school taxes if this proposed school is Julie Blais Grande i think weve got Money left what do you want for Christmas i ;