Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 3

THE EDMONTON JOURNAL, Tuesday, May 30, 1989 A3 Canada Personal defeat for Tory leader Ghiz, Grits steamroller opponents in P.E.I, vote By JULIAN BELTRAME Southam News CHARLOTTETOWN Voters in Prince Edward Island shouted a message to Ottawa Monday by painting the province Liberal red for the second time in six months. Building on the clean sweep in the November federal election, Liberal Premier Joe Ghiz rolled to a massive majority that saw Tory leader Mel Gass go down to personal defeat The Liberals picked up eight new members in winning 30 of 32 seats with 60 per cent of the popular vote. The Tories were reduced to a rump of two and the New Democrats again failed to elect their first member. The Liberal majority was the highest ever recorded on the Island, even surpassing the 1935 election when the Grits swept every seat with 58 per cent of the vote. "The people of P.E.I.

are obviously very happy with the government they've been receiving," an elated Ghiz said, brushing aside charges of political opportunism for going to the polls on the heels of the unpopular federal budget. i rr 1 fa "I can assure all Islanders well do all our best to deliver good, open, honest government for the next four years." In a television interview, Ghiz began his new mandate with a promise to reintroduce last month's balanced budget, which included no new taxes. But he offered no assurances the result would help his efforts to save CFB Summerside. A shell-shocked Gass, who the CBC had at one time mistakenly declared elected, refused to comment when the network flip-flopped his votes with Tourism Minister Gordon Maclnnis. Earlier, however, the former member of the Mulroney caucus was quick to lay the blame on his former boss for his party's dismal showing.

"We did everything we could do (but) I think the federal budget obviously had a lot to do with it," Gass said. Just how much the federal Tories cost their provincial cousins was evident in Summerside, where the Canadian Forces base was pencilled for closure in Michael Wilson's April 27 budget Liberal candidates won both seats in the Island's second largest town, defeating one of the Conservatives's strongest members, Andy Walker. Walker and Summerside running mate Greg Deighan were bitter over the federal impact on the provincial election. "We were fighting Ottawa it was federal policies that hurt us that's for sure," said a disconsolate Deighan. Walker said if the Mulroney government does not change its policies toward Atlantic Canada, the Tory vote will decline further.

In the waning days of the campaign, Gass tried to bolster his flagging chances with a vicious assault on Ghiz, calling the premier "arrogant," "a dictator," "a hypocrite" and "vindictive." When Gass wasn't attacking Ghiz, he was pounding the premier's policies. Throughout, Ghiz maintained the Liberal record was brighter than what was being portrayed by the Tories and New Democrats. "Promises made have been promises kept," Ghiz boasted, pointing out the government had kept its pledge to bring in a pharmacare program for seniors and dental care for children. Liberals elected in 30 of 32 Island seats Facts and figures from Monday's Prince Edward Island election, the 33rd since Confederation: Number of seats: 32 Final standing: Liberals 30, Conservatives 2, NDP 0 Standing at dissolution: Liberals 22, Conservatives 9. vacant 1 Voter turnout Monday: 77 per cent; 1986 87 per cent Number of eligible voters: 89.230 Share of popular vote Monday: Liberals 60 per cent; Conservatives 36 per cent; NDP three per cent; 1986: Liberals 49; Conservatives 44; NDP 3.

How the leaders fared: Liberal Premier Joe Ghiz re-elected in Queens 6th; Tory Mel Gass defeated in Queens 2nd; NDP's Jim Mayne defeated in Prince 5th. Victorious Premier Joe Ghiz gets a kiss from his wife Rose Ellen at celebration re-elected leader brushed aside charges of political opportunism in wake of Wilson budget Digest Grits foiled in bid to grill officials on leak Journal News Services OTTAWA Liberal Leader John Turner invoked an ancient parliamentary rule Monday in a bid to force senior bureaucrats to testify in the Commons about the budget leak scandal. But the government refused to go along, sparking renewed accusations it is trying to conceal a conspiracy to cover up a budget leak to one of the country's largest insurance companies. "If cabinet ministers have nothing to hide, they should not fear the truth," Turner taunted the government, suggesting Prime Minister Brian Mulroney himself may have conspired to hide the leak to Mutual Life Assurance Co. of Canada.

"The entire Conservative front bench seems to have a case of collective amnesia as to what happened after that telephone call (from Mutual, telling the Finance Department of the leak)." The little-known rule dug up by Turner allows MPs effectively to turn the Commons into a court and to subpoena witnesses to testify before the bar of the House. Turner wanted Paul Tellier, clerk of the privy council and secretary to the cabinet; Stanley Hartt, Mulroney's chief of staff; and deputy finance minister Fred Gorbet to testify. But Turner needed unanimous consent to introduce the motion and the government refused to co-operate. The ploy was an attempt to find out who decided not to reveal the April 25 leak, which the government did not acknowledge until it was confirmed last week by Mutual. It was also an effort to discern whether the Commons was deliberately misled on April 27, when Finance Minister Michael W'ilson referred only to a single leak to Global television and Mulroney vowed to inform the Commons immediately of any further developments.

Monday, opposition MPs summoned names and terminology from the Iran-Contra affair to color their allegations. Liberal Don Boudria called Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski "Lt-Col. Oliver Maz." New Democrat Nelson Riis demanded the name of the "Oliver North north" who decided to cover up the leak. Turner noted that a Finance official had been told by 1:30 p.m. on April 27 of a leak to Mutual.

Word was passed on to the Privy Council office and the prime minister's office after the RCMP was called. But Mulroney, Wilson, Mazankowski and Justice Minister Doug Lewis all say they heard nothing of it until after question period ended about 3 p.m. that day. The matter is critical. Turner said, because it would show either rank incompetence or that senior officials ere ordered to keep Wilson in the dark to save the budget and Wilson's career.

It's inconceivable senior officials would withhold information, he said. Sprung's books to be audited ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. After two years of being denied access to the finances of the Sprung greenhouse, Newfoundland's auditor general will finally get to look at its books. Premier Clyde Wells said a judicial inquiry into the controversial greenhouse may not be needed, depending on what Auditor General Joseph McGrath finds in his investigation.

The former Conservative government invested more than $20 million in the much-criticized project Truckers tie up traffic in protest VANCOUVER Hundreds of truckers protesting their pay rates rolled into rush-hour traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway on Monday, backing up motorists from suburban Surrey to east Vancouver. A six-kilometre-long line of trucks carried signs with slogans such as Raise The Rates So My Wife Doesn't Have To Support Me And My Truck. Que. Liberals win two b) elections The Quebec Liberals swept one riding and narrowly kept the Parti Quebecois from winning the Rail union plans campaign to save Via from gov't cuts other in two provincial byelec-tions in western Quebec Monday night. Norm MacMillan, the Liberal candidate in Papineau, barely defeated PQ hopeful Paul-Andre David.

In nearby -it rv. Ik. 7 If Hull riding. Liberal Robert Les- i age strolled to victory over PQ canaiaale raui uemaire witn a majority. Speaking in I I t0 jilant Liberal party ilt supporters, Premier Robert Bou w- rn rassa hinted at a fall election.

Lesage jt.s vcry pole that in the autumn we will have a new challenge for the future of Quebec so stay together and work together." By TONY HODGKINSON Southam News OTTAWA A nationwide campaign to save Via Rail from federal budget cuts is planned by the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway, Transport and General Workers. The union pledged $250,000 Monday in initial funding for what it expects will be a protracted campaign aimed at not only rescuing the passenger service from federal austerity measures, but improving the system. "Before this campaign is over, the government will realize it should spend more money on Via, not less," the union's national vice-president, Tom McGrath, told a news conference on Parliament Hill. He was joined by national president James Hunter who said: "We are in this for the long haul." Hunter charged that the cuts are a betrayal by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Conservatives, who promised Canadians "a passenger rail service that could move forward into the 21st century." The transport union represents about half of Via Rail's 7,000 employees, including onboard attendants, ticket and reservation agents and laborers. It also represents 7,000 workers at CN Rail.

McGrath said a reduction in government funding to S541 million this year from $641 million last year means 2,500 Via jobs are at stake. Within three weeks the Keep Via Moving campaign will be advertised nationally to "alert Canadians to the consequences of the government cutbacks," he said. Municipal councils, businesses, seniors' groups, service organizations and other unions will be asked for their support McGrath said the Pro-Canada Network, an umbrella organization of groups representing more than 10 million Canadians, is backing the campaign, along with the National Action Committee on the Status of Women and the Canadian Labor Congress. "We will derail the government's shortsighted passenger rail policy and put Via Rail back on track," he said. Hunter said that since Via was created in 1977, it has been forced to buy "ancient and creaky equipment" from the country's two freight railways CN and CP Rail at exhorbitant prices.

It has also had to pay outrageous amounts for maintenance and repairs and funnel huge quantities of cash to the railways in return for using their track. fU 4 t- jt li 1 Shopkeeper's death investigated CHATHAM, N.B. An RCMP team was assembled Monday to investigate the death of an elderly shopkeeper found in the smoking ruins of her home, the apparent victim of robbery and arson. The body of Annie Flam, 75, was found in her apartment above the grocery store she had run for over 50 years. Flam was found tied to a chair.

PM to 'address' Maritime concerns FREDERICTON Prime Minister Brian Mulroney seems prepared to take steps to soften the effects of the federal budget on Atlantic Canada. That's the word he gave Premier Frank McKenna when the two met privately during the francophone summit in Senegal last week. "He's going to talk about a mechanism to address some of our concerns rather than a specific action plan," McKenna said. Gov't to ban pointed lawn darts OTTAWA Legislation banning the sale of lawn darts with pointed tips is being prepared by the Consumer Affairs Department Department officials were instructed two weeks ago to begin drafting the legislation, Consumer Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said Monday. Forty-five injuries resulting from lawn-dart games have been reported in Canada during the last 20 years.

More Canada in Convicted MP pressured to resign the Commons to decide if the MP is thrown out. And Justice Minister Doug Lewis said then that the Commons should not debate the issue until Grise has had the opportunity "to take the course of action himself." But Mazankowski made it clear Monday that the government is losing patience. "I am as concerned as he is," be said, referring to Liberal justice critic Robert Kaplan who had asked if the government was as concerned as the opposition that Grise was still a member of the House. OTTAWA (CP) Convicted MP Richard Grise was served notice by the government Monday that he should quit the Commons before a motion is made to throw him out Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski said Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was "seized" with the issue and likely will want to deal with it when he returns from Brussels on Wednesday. Grise was given one day in jail last week, fined $20,000 and put on probation for three years after pleading guilty in a Quebec court to several counts of fraud and breach of trust Mazankowski had said it would be up to Fish plant protest Wrorkers from throughout Nova Scotia marched through the streets of Halifax Monday to protest the closure of fish plants in the province.

Premier John Buchanan gave some support to a union proposal calling for quotas on unprocessed fish exported to the U.S. RCMP forecasts rise in cocaine use, crime in 1990s "It could be significantly worse when you look at the crack situation in the United States. It should be like that here but it's not" Heroin use also increased in 1987 and there now are about 25,000 addicts in Canada 15,000 of them reside in Montreal, and most of the others live in Toronto and Vancouver, the report says. The government's five-year program to combat drug abuse, launched in 1987, set aside 70 per cent of its total $210-million budget for education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The federal plan includes advertisements, publications and posters featuring anti-drug messages from Canadian athletes.

MONTREAL (CP) Crack and cocaine use in Canada will increase in the 1990s, resulting in more crime, deaths and illness in major cities, says an RCMP drug report Toronto and Montreal will continue to be the main Canadian points through which cocaine is imported and distributed, says the study, released Monday, on national illegal drug use. "It's a daily war and we have not won the war yet," said Pierre Blais, federal solicitor general. Drug dealing "is a peculiar crime where the victim and the criminal are on the same side of the law," Blais told a news conference. "If someone steals a woman's purse, the woman calls the police but if someone buys cocaine, he's not going to phone the police." Across Canada, RCMP seized 145 kilograms of cocaine in 1987, up from 102 kilograms in 1986. The number of people charged with cocaine-related offences increased 16 per cent over 1986, while the number of people charged with trafficking rose 36 per cent Poinung to the recent seizure in Montreal of cocaine with an estimated street value of $250 million, Blais said police are hitting dealers where it hurts in their allets.

Between 1983 and 1987, the RCMFs anti-drug profiteering squad seized more than $50 million in money and assets from drug dealers. "We've been targeting the kingpins of the drug trade and the drug trafficking organizations which have become very sophisticated, very ruthless and very wealthy," Blais said. The report said cocaine, now more abundant and cheaper than ever, has become accessible to more people. Crack the powerful, easily made combination of cocaine and baking soda that now floods American streets is the biggest crime culprit and of greatest worry to police forces. It hits the brain in seconds, causing an intense euphoria that wears off quickly and leaves the user restless, irritable and craving for more.

The RCMP seized only one gram of crack in 1988 in Quebec but it is widely used in southern Ontario centres. "The emergence of crack in Toronto has given rise to trends similar to those encountered in the inner cities of the United States," the report says. "Toronto's increased crime rate and the higher rate of cocaine-related deaths in Ontario have been attributed, in part, to crack use." The report says the RCMP is also concerned about the increasing number of teenagers using crack, known as the poor man's cocaine. Marcel Coutu, the RCMFs drug enforcement director, told reporters there is no severe drug problem in Canada yet "but it's coming." I.