HE NATIONAL Parole Board decision .. lo allow day parole for Denis Lortie — : a man who just 10 years ago machine- “gunned 16 people (killing three) in the nation- al assembly in Quebec City — is a prime - example of just how far our country has'lost touch with the principle of justice. ! Canadians should be outraged. The shock- jing move reveals a callous disregard for the _ Tights of Lortie’s victims as well as the right “to safety of the general public. | -; Consideration of Lortie’s freedom,’ ‘tied as iti is toa perception of the killer’s remorse and a prison administration assessment’ that the man is no longer a threat to society, fails to os account fox, in any meaningful way, the free- dom permanentiy lost by: Lortie’s three vic- ‘ tims. « : Who is to exact justice for them if not the state? ' Doug Foot - Comptroiler ; 985-2131 (133) ‘Peter Speck Pubjlisher, , 985-24 31 (101 ) Chris Johnson Operations Manager 985-2131 (141) Thanks to an overriding condition of expe- diency, danger walks among us. a As a matter of self-protection we as a soci- ‘ety must consistently send the message to our political. servants that criminals should be sentenced fuily using the tools provided with- in the context of our Criminal Code. It is up to the corrections bureaucracy ta ensure that the interests of the public supersede those of offenders. If the trend to minimize ‘time served by criminals is an expression of a lack of nation- al prison resources, then, _perhaps we should look at spending more on the prison system — infrastructure, guards as weil as rehabili- tation programs. The money spent will buy us all some peace of mind. _ As matters stand, the Lortie decision is a bleak New Year’s greeting from the. ‘justice’ front. ’ Timothy Renshaw Managing Editor 985-2131 (416) Linda Stewart " porary” Sales & Marketing Director 960-0511 (319) IT’S ALARMING to consid- er the possibility that Finance Minister Paul Martin’s real problem may simply be stupidity. But that seems one of the more plau- sible explanations for his current antics. The aim of Mr. Martin's February budget is to launch the process of reducing the current $42 billion deficit to $25 billion by 1997 -—— the immediate need being spending cuts af nearly $10 bil- lion. : At least, that's what the tax-rav- aged citizenry was originally led to understand, But in the past week or two the minister has been mak- ing nasty noises about possible new taxes in addition to culs — a tax on lotteries, an extra $2.2 bil- lion from increased taxes on Baso- line and corporations, and a “tem- income tax surtax. If you think “stupidity” is too harsh a word for Martin, remember Mulroney’s late, unlamented finance minister. In budget after budget Michacl Wilson solemnly vowed to pull Canada out of the glue. Then, he steadily raised taxes, until we now have to work more than half a year to pay gov- ernments before keeping a cent for ourselves, Nine years later, when the Tories were reduced in 1993 to two seats, the federal debt — so far from shrinking — had almost tripled. So for any 1inance minister still contemplating tax hikes as a method of paying down debt, ‘“‘stu- pidity” may even be too kind a word. Once taxes reach an unbearable level, as in Canada today, they become counter-productive. More and more otherwise honest citizens — dabbie in the underground econo- my (now estimated by the Fraser Institute at $120 billion), Others work less. Some up sticks and depart to the States. The economy slows down and jobs are lost. One excuse being floated for Martin toying with the possibility of further taxes is that spending cuts “take time to work through the system” before any cash relief " materializes. But since this will always be true, must we assume that spending cuts are never possi- ble unless accompanied by tax Peter Kvarnstrom | Display Manager 980-051 1 (103). . Classified Manager 996-6222 (202) NG EAI ELS th AAD HITHER AND YON hikes? Give us a break, Paul! The truth — as the Mulroney- Wilson years disastrously demon-'" strated — is that taxes never curb. government overspending. They merely hide its effects for a short. period. The only real answer, of course, is to forget about any new taxes and spread the spending cuts deep-.. er and wider, especially in the case "of the $42 billion lavished last year on government operations and sub- sidies to special interest groups [ and Crown Corporations, * In a recent survey by Reform MP Herb Grubel nearly 1,000 of. his Capilano-Howe Sound con- stituents slashed those three cate-:, gories by an average of 54% each, for a saving of $19.2 billion —: about twice Martin’s immediate; ”. target — while letting health, pen- — sions, social services and post-sec- ondary education off much more lightly. : That’s the mood of the voters, Paul. Flout it at your ‘peril! TAILPIECES: Bureau of : Competition Policy officer Craig : Fulton talks to the 7:30 a.m. West): Van Chamber of Commerce ; breakfast meeting next Tuesday, ; ' Jan.10 at Pat’s Restaurant—- =": reserve (926-6614) by Friday,’ Jan. 6 ... And also on Friday, forget pol. *: ities for five minutes to wish happy birthday to 52-year-old Premier Mike Harcourt. 2 ae WRIGHT. OR WRONG: : Bettes to look where you're going than to see where you've been. Trixi Agrios. __ Promotions Mareger.- 985-2131. (157) oh, a 985-2131 ~MEMBER 980-0511 985-6982 985-6222 905-2131 980-1970 | 936-1337 985-1435 905-2104 Administration Otaplay Advertising Real Estate Advertising -. Classified Advertising Newsroom _ Newsroom Voice Malt. Distribution. Claplay & Real Estate Fax Newsroon Fax Classified, Accounting & . Main Office Fax North Shore News, founded In 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Prass : Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North ‘ Shore, Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing - fates available on request. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicted materia) Including manuscripts and pictures, which should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. | . 6 ho Tra vos of wont ano west vaxicouvEn SDA DIVISION re 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) a 139 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver B.C, N7M 2H4 ; ; North Shore Managed 965-3227 , ‘ Entire contents © 1994 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved.