(This
column was published in the North
Shore News on
June 3, 1998)
The NDP's
gambling games
By Leo Knight
WELL,
the NDP are at it again.
Since
they've come into power, they have been determined to give us
all the gambling we never wanted.
Not
that increased gambling isn't to some degree inevitable, with
all the money the thousands of B.C. holidaymakers take with them
to Vegas, Reno, Tahoe and the cruise ships every year. It seems
somewhat illogical the government would not make some attempt to
keep some of that money here.
But
from the start the NDP have fumbled, bumbled and careened their
way through this issue. We were going to have the big Seaport
hotel/convention centre/casino operation with a magical
partnership between Steve Wynn of Mirage Resorts and our
wonderful government and its union cohorts. Only problem was
they forgot to find out if the city wanted it.
Then
there was the premier's "modest" increase in table
gaming limits. Remember that. A 1,900% jump. Modest indeed!
Then
the Supreme Court, in the form of Mr. Justice Leggett, told the
government they were in breach of the Criminal Code with their
highly touted new system introduced last fall.
In
that case, brought against the NDP government by the Nanaimo
Commonwealth Bingo Society, the court said, "I find no
authority in either the Lottery Act or the Lottery Corporation
Act empowering the provincial government to make regulations
allowing for the distribution of proceeds from charitable or
religious gaming.
"I
further find that the regulation is invalid as the provincial
government cannot authorize the enactment of a regulation that
incites a breach of the Criminal Code."
Back
to the drawing board.
On April 9, the latest minister responsible for gaming, Mike Farnworth, announced new plans to reorganize the system. Farnworth softened everyone up by first announcing he was upping the ante for the charities by guaranteeing revenues of $125 million, up from $118 million.
He
then said, "Under the interim system, charities will
continue to be involved in charitable gaming and the BC Gaming
Commission will continue to be responsible for charity access to
gaming revenue."
He
followed this up by saying "the BC Lottery Commission would
now manage and conduct casino table games, slot machines and
linked bingo in compliance with Canada's Criminal Code."
Excellent.
They make a public announcement to tell us they've finally
decided to follow the law instead of breaking it.
But
nowhere in the announcement did Farnworth say exactly how the
government was going to accomplish this takeover.
Now
it appears the government, in the form of the BC Lottery
Commission, has purchased all the tangible assets of the
privately run casinos in the province, everything from the
tables and chairs to the decks of cards and poker chips now
belongs to the government.
Apparently,
the casinos will still manage the operations and not one chip
will actually leave their hands. But the government has given up
taxpayer dollars to the casinos and will "lease" the
equipment back to the gambling businesses.
What
is all this for, you may ask?
I
tried to ask the minister last week that question. The call was
returned not by the minister, a deputy minister or even a press
officer. But by a man named Peter Clark, who was the author of a
study done for the NDP on expanded gaming.
The
study was released in January 1997 and was nothing more than a
whitewashed justification for the gambling expansion they
wanted.
Clark
was then put in charge of the Lotteries Committee where he
remained until Farnworth wound it down earlier this year in
response to public pressure and the court decision. Clark was
supposed to have retired at that time. Well, apparently not.
He
explained his position to me as the "gaming advisor to the
government." I listened for a while to the bafflegab about
why the BCLC was buying all that stuff. I then asked him if, by
putting all the equipment into government's hands, this then
opened the door to have slot machines in areas where the
municipal governments have legislated against them. Surrey and
Vancouver, you'll remember have both waged exhaustive battles
with the NDP to keep slots out of those areas.
Clark
responded by saying, "It could very well. You know under
section 14 (2) of the Constitution, the provincial government is
not bound by municipal bylaws."
"But,"
he stressed, "no decision has yet been made."
Yeah
right. Next I expected to hear the one about Goldilocks and the
three bears.
I
then spoke to Vancouver councillor Jennifer Clarke, a long-time
opponent of slots.
Was
she aware of what the government was up to?
Suffice
to say she exploded. "We were told nothing of this,"
she fumed. "They do whatever they want without for a moment
considering the wishes of local government and that's
wrong," said the outraged councillor.
Interestingly
enough, the NDP apparently doesn't even tell its own cabinet
ministers what's going on.
Jenny
Kwan, the newly appointed minister for something or other, said
in a December interview with the Chinese language Ming Pao
newspaper, that she supports Vancouver City in its fight against
casino expansions.
She
also said, "The provincial government will not enforce new
casinos into communities when they are against it."
Better
check that one out with your boss, Jenny.
Subterfuge,
backroom deals, and dishonesty with the public. That is today's
NDP.
Liberal
gaming critic, Dan Jarvis, MLA for North Vancouver Seymour, said
on this issue, "They (NDP) don't really care about the
communities and what they want. They just want money and they
found their way around the court decisions through the back
door."
So it seems, Dan, so it seems.