MAYOR ASKED COPS TO LAY OFF MARIJUANA PARTY OPPONENT

MAYOR JACK Talstra met with Terrace's top cop because he feared any drug
investigation of Marijuana Party challenger Bob Erb during the election
might appear politically motivated.

Talstra -- whose law firm handles federal drug prosecutions here -- said he
urged RCMP Inspector Marlin Degrand to use caution because he didn't want
to be accused of directing police forces against his mayoral opponent.

"I asked them to lay off Bob," Talstra said Nov. 14, two days before voting
day. "I don't need that."

Talstra said the sensitivity of the situation was heightened because of his
job and professional duties relating to Erb -- who has been the subject of
police drug investigations and prosecutions in the past.

"I'm a federal prosecutor," Talstra said. "I have his files in my office. I
know more about him than anybody. But it's confidential material. I haven't
said anything about it and I wouldn't."

Degrand says it was a short conversation.

"Mayor Talstra spoke with me very briefly about the election," Degrand
said. "He didn't want the appearance that the RCMP were acting in a manner
to support him."

Degrand said he assured Talstra that police investigations aren't motivated
by politics or timed to elections.

"I said 'No sir, even if you wanted to you couldn't influence us,'" Degrand
said. "I assured him we wouldn't discuss an investigation with him if one
was ongoing."

"We would never deem it anywhere close to appropriate to intervene in a
mayoral election."

Degrand said RCMP here were not aware that Erb was providing free marijuana
at an open house he held last Wednesday, the day of the advance poll, at
the carpenters hall.

Had they been, he said, they would have investigated it as an apparent case
of marijuana trafficking.