THE FREE PRESS OPINION Page A8 SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 1999 PHONE 564-0005 “The theory oj a free /tress is that the truth will emerge from free reporting and free discussion " Walter Lippman FREE PRESS PUBLISHER L.ORNE DOERKSON editor Cam McAlpine ADVERTISING MANAGER MARIE CARSON #200-1515 Second Avenue, Prince George, B.C. V2L 3B8 Phone: 564-0005 Fax: 562-0025 Believe it or not, Joy offers hope If you think the toughest job in B.C. is that of Mike Keenan or Brian Burke in trying to field a decent hockey team, you would he wrong. Instead, cast your eye across Georgia Straight and consider the plight of Finance Minister Joy MacPhail. She's the fourth person to hold that portfolio since the first NDP government was elected in 1991. And by all accounts, she seems to be the only one to fully understand that a government is not supposed to overspend, tax excessively or overregulate. The one weak area of the NDP lies in the economy. For the most part, the party views income and profits as something to be plucked like a ripe fruit from a tree instead of regarding the whole tree as a vital and living organism. To he sure, Ms. MacPhail is as ardent an NDPer as they come and she follows closely the NDP philosophy that a government should be a strong intervcnor in the economy. But she shows clear signs of understanding that choking the ability of business and of taxpayers to participate in the economy through investment and spending means nothing but bad news. Witness the reaction of other cabinet ministers, notably Moe Sihota, to various proposals by the B.C. Business Summit, the collection of provincial business leaders who gathered recently to put together some ideas to revive the province’s economy. Mr. Sihota took it as an ideological declaration of war and went on the attack with dire warnings. Ms. MacPhail was more receptive, leading observers to note she would consider what the business leaders had to say. Mr. Sihota's reaction shows that, despite all its years in power, the NDP prefers the heat of political battle to the more rational job of governing. So the best hope for B.C., at least in the next little while, rests with Ms. MacPhail as she begins work on the next budget. And that leaves us with the wish she’ll be able to curb her more intemperate colleagues. Terrace Standard Tmi Prince George Free Press is A POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED EVERV THURSDAY AND SUNDAY. All material contained in this publication is protected by copyright. Reproduction is expressly prohibited by the rightsholder. Still spinning our wheels W ’ith a singular and important exception, the year past was not one for surprises. Our political leaders and with that big exception - our business leaders pursued tired old policies in the midst of serious economic crisis. As for our moral or spiritual leadership, and our intellectual guiding lights, frankly, to even bring them up is to admit their utter absence from the scene. As lor the politicians and businessmen, there was plenty of activity, but it was along their chosen ruts, not out of them. The politicos were especially likely to advance tired out responses, long proven inadequate. The New Democrat government under Premier Glen Clark proved the now conventional wisdom that the left is a reactionary force. It completed its refinancing of the Skccna Cellulose mill, for example, committing huge amounts of taxpayers' money to a sunset company. It continued its Canute-like efforts to save the commercial salmon fishery. And it continued to intervene in the marketplace by negotiating individual deals with forest companies, tai- CAPITAL REPORT Steve Weatherbe I luring a sympathetic administrative regime to fit each's requirement. None of these things helped the economy at all. Meanwhile the business community, with the Liberal party in support, was calling for lower taxes and, necessarily, lower government spending. They held a unique business summit - unique in bringing together all the players, big and small, in one conference. But hardly unique in their recommendations. The government so far has ignored these traditional calls for less tax. less government, policies which have been instituted across Canada at national and provincial levels, and with positive economic results. The common theme running through this list of NDP stupidities is this government's need to protect organized labour, even wlien it so clearly is not in the best interests of the province. There was an exception: MacMillan Bloedei under its new CEO Tom Stephens broke with industry in response to consumer pressure and vowed to eleareut old growth no more. And he made a revolutionary call for a freer market in W(hxI. a heresy which would have led to ostracism had it not come from an industry kingpin. Hie government's response to the current crisis in the forest industry had been to reduce red tape. The opposition’s to call for the tossing out of the government and let the Liberals reduce the red tape. This is not a wide range of choices to set before live king, the people of B.C.