To the editor:
I remember British Columbia’s first NDP government under Dave Barrett, and I remember the NDP putting taxpayer dollars to good use.
They bought the Town of Ocean Falls, which became a ghost town after the mill went bankrupt.
They bought (God only knows why) a restaurant in Victoria, immediately dubbed Barrett’s beanery.
They bought poultry business, called Panco Poultry, which went bankrupt.
They bought up God only knows how much so-called British Columbia art, most of which is still in the halls of the legislature somewhere.
Based upon a letter from Safeway that said “If you make good potato chips, we might buy some from you,” the NDP set up Swan Lake Potato Chips, poured money into it, and never sold a chip to Safeway or anyone else for that matter.
Then there was the famous mineral royalty that was ruinous to miners, causing unions to be just as angry as management because they could see their jobs vanishing.
Good deeds, intended good deeds, catastrophes and an attitude that, being socialists, they were doing God’s work pervaded government offices.
Then, irony of all ironies, they thoroughly alienated the unions with ill thought out, more than faintly condescending back-to-work legislation, which the government thought would a good decision to call an election!
Great thinking! Get the entire electorate, including basic support up tight, and then call an election.
The above proves why the NDP was a one-term government.
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan
