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Armenian‘s comments at a press conference Monday, as reâ€" ported in a page one article in this edition, may be considered somewhat inflammatory or radical, but that shouldn‘t prevent municipal councillors from responding to the plea for more finâ€" ancial assistance. Hardly a day goes by in our Waterloo area without one price increase or another being blamed on the increasing price of gas or heating oil. Hardly a day goes by in the House of Cammons without a question about the Governtmnent‘s intentions re‘garding the price and supply of fossil fuels. Where is the government going in its energy program? The first priority of the National Energy Program, announced with the Budget last October, was the Canadianization of the enâ€" ergy industry. To most, that meant inâ€" creased ‘"shareâ€"ownership‘‘ by more Canaâ€" dians, of energy companies operating in Canâ€" ada. Recent events have shown that the Liberal government has a hidden agenda in the National Energy Program : state owâ€" nership, or nationalization, of the energy inâ€" dustry. Symphony merits support It has attracted Lieutenantâ€"Governor John Black Aird to be its patron and is enjoying wider, national acclaim. _ _ â€" _And thousands of area residents are enjoying the concerts proâ€" vided in the Centre. Nationalization of the industry is not going to produce one more barrel of oil, or create one more job. In short, it will not take us one step forward to Canadian energy selfâ€"sufâ€" figrency. _ Armenian, as conductor, has been steadfast and dedicated in his role in the last decade and surely ranks as an outstanding maestro. [ os The musicians, as well, are of a high calibre and devoted to the symphony. _ _ _ _ It would be a pity if the momentum of the cultural events takâ€" ing place was to suffer. Canada is one of the few nations in the world that has the capability of being energy self-sgx!ficient. In Europe, Japan, and the Unâ€" ited States, governments shake their collecâ€" However, the point is that if the need for more support is genâ€" uinely there, area municipalities should in the longâ€"range and, if possible in the shortâ€"range, respond. â€" s _ The symphony plays a vital role in the cultural life of the Twin Cities as the principal tenant of the Centre in the Square. We‘re not sure that Raffi Armenian, conductor of the Kitâ€" chenerâ€"Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, is the most diplomatic person around when it comes to speaking to area politicians about funding of the orchestra. And we‘re not really sure as to what is a reasonable level of support, comparisons with other cities notwithstanding. The symphony deserves it. WALTER McLEAN published every Wednesday by Fairway Press. a division of Kitchenerâ€"Waterioo Record Ltd.. owner 225 Fairway Rd. S.. Kitchener. Ont. address correspondence Waterioo 92 King S South Wuub.mww::; Wareriqo Chromcte ofhos :s located on 2 nd oor of the O W Sports buiiding apposite Watrerioo Squere Parking on King Street or in Waterigo Square Open Monday to Fmday 9 OO a m blfiom subscriptions $14 a year in Canada $16 a year in Urited States and Foreign Countries The future for oil selfâ€"sufficiency is in the oil sands, heavy oils, and the frontier areas. These are areas where Petroâ€"Canada can and has played a significant role. At first the Liberal Government said it wanted a stateâ€" owned oil company in order to have a ‘winâ€" dow‘ on the industry. Now they are saying Petroâ€"Canada, and other state agencies, are to be the principal players. What they will not accept, is that one cannot be the referee and the player at the same time‘!‘ The Government has traditionally asked the oil companies to wait 60 days before passing crude oil price increases on to the customer. It takes that long for the new oil to reach the pump. Yet, on January 1, 1981, the Government imposed a $2.50 per barrel on crude oil at the refinery (as announced in the National Energy Program). But it also alâ€" tive heads over the folly of Canada failing to grasp this opportunity. The National Energy Program outlines a radical restructuring of the energy industry (together with a loss of investment capital and expertise), at a time when we need everything going for us to achieve what shouid be our primary goal‘ Publisher: Paul Winkler Editor: _ Phil Jaisevac establisheq 1854 Program has ‘hidden‘ aggenda ... FOR BEST PERFORMAANCE BY SOMETHING THAT 15 NOT LNM ACCEPTAPLE OR PARTKCULARLY \MNTED‘ Ai/ Abkt CAAOTIOC ALATNMMA _ Stateâ€"owned companies, on this continent at least, are notoriously inefficient, despite the best of intentions. The purchase of Peâ€" trofina consists primarily of a string of gasoâ€" line stations and a refinery. Its purchase, while‘ providing Petroâ€"Canada with a string of retail outilets, does nothing towards oilâ€" selfâ€"sufficiency‘ Not only that, Petrofina was lowed the oil companies to increase the price of gas at the pumps at the same time. The multiâ€"nationals, as well as Petroâ€"Canada, made over $150 million in excess profits. The government has said repeatedly that it inâ€" tends to take no action against the oil comâ€" panies. To do so, it would have to penalize its ‘window‘ on the industry, Petroâ€"Canada. The principal question arising from all of this, seems to be, ‘"what is the benefit of the naâ€" tionalization of the energy industry?"" Not only does it not move toward the goal of enâ€" ergy selfâ€"sufficiency, it sends Canadians‘ money out of the country, in the form of unâ€" justifiable profits. If the Liberal Governâ€" ment wants to play with the mulitiâ€"nationais, instead of properly monitoring their activiâ€" ties, what will the cost be to the average Canâ€" adian? By AN ENTIRE MNATION ... the rate it is going, the Petrofina pumps may be all it has! Petroâ€"Canada proved to be incompetent. The crown corporation allowed rumours of the purchase to push Petrofina prices skyâ€" high. Inside knowledge allowed individuals, including Petrofina executives, to make hundreds of thousands of dollars. The whole purchase is now before the Ontario Securiâ€" ties Commission for investigation. Incidenâ€" taily, Petroâ€"Canada did not have the funds to buy Petrofina, so you and I as consumers will be taxed more for gasoline and home heating fuel to pay for it! I will go out on a limb and sugtg:st that there is no other oil ‘company‘ in world that operates like that‘! It is little wonder that the Federal Governâ€" ment wants to keep its agenda ‘hidden‘ beâ€" hind the National Energy Program. It is just one more instance of the Government‘s infaâ€" tuation with the price, rather than the supply too expensive. Petroâ€"Canada will have to pay (that means Canadian taxâ€"payers will have to pay ) almost $30 more for the shares than is necessary. <gnergy. The og'ovemment may end up with large share of the energy industry, but at