Current Events "Ujjal bags free ads"ÃÂÃÂ - Vancouver Province 02/18/01, A6 ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ This article talks about the NDP's decision to put a hold on the hunting of grizzly bears in B.C. and possible reasons and consequences for the recent agreement. Reporter Michael Smyth states the possible motives behind Premier Dosanhj's agreement to stop the hunt and how it comes into effect with the NDP's future. Smyth suggests that the agreement is nothing more than free advertisement for the Premier, who is in need of major damage control for his party, in a hope to increase there vote count among environmentalists and citizens for a possible future election. He also suggests the NDP was involved in the creation of a billboard that thanks the Premier since it was created by the same company, Strategic Communications Inc., that was part of last year's leadership campaign. This made Liberal critic Richard Neufeld wondered if it was an NDP attempt for more votes.
After the agreement was made the Liberal party stated if they were elected they would immediately restore grizzly-bear hunting in B.C. Environmental and animal-rights groups have then stated that would fight to uphold the agreement and convince the Liberal party to do so. The article then proceeds to give examples of the overwhelming power of persuasion of environmental groups where they forced Ontario's Premier to ban the spring black bear hunt in Ontario.