1139 Lonsdale Avenue: North Vancouver, B.C. : V7M.2H4 PETER SPECK Publisher. 925-2131 (101) Doug Feat Tas: Comptroller 2° - 985-2131 (133) » Chris Johnson: Operations Manager Thavathy ° Unda Stewart + Managing Editor. =:- 985-2131 (116) SB0-0511 (219) * Natora Stayheesca . 7 Classified Manager “988-6222 (202) : Terry Poters holography Manager: 985. anager. see-807 (124). ‘sa52101 (a7) “Worth 8hor0 Wow, founded in 1969 as eo “independent suburban newspaper and qualified * under. Schedule’ {11,- Paragraph 111 of the. _'y' Excise Tax Act,‘is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press ° Ltd. and distributed to every door 09 the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail =: jy Sales. Product Agreement: No. 0087238. ne ’ Mailing rates sealable on request 985-2131 (168). Sales & Marketing Director | ing. provincial. - ; restricts the ability of news. media NI how heh Ge moral hy h glourd Pj is eroding your rights of free speech YOUR . RIGHTS © of’. free “speech and free. expression are under attack. by the provincial | NDP government. That attack: comes,, under: the | guise of. -. Bill 28, the Election ‘Act, which + restricts the amount of moiey indi- : viduals or groups can spend on sup- porting or opposing candidates dur- - elections *.and “10 publish opinion poll results. -.@ Bill 33, the 1993 Human Rights: Act, which restricts the publication or open ‘discussion of material. that: “cMindicates*. discrimination”: or__is: . “likely to expose 4 person or group -. of persons to hatred or contempt.” The vaguely worded legislation :is - policed. by ‘an .unelected Human " - Rights Council « empowered... “apply hefty, penalties. upon those” -{ ruled: to have, jMlolated the legisla-_ tion.” “Bil 32. the new. Human’ Rights = _ Amendment Act, which émpowers an? odious "Human. Rights ~ Commission to harass the press and other media by seeking out alleged” “Human. Rights violations or com-.:,. - plaints about: discrimination, «be. “they real or- perceived, without. a. “complainant. ‘Investigations can’ be launched “ Commissioner ©. of _ 219-2438 Marine Dr. |; | West Vancouver, B. Cc. eye ‘W7V IL2 2 7 “by the © , Investigation and Mediation against : : asmewspaper without. ‘and :probabie cause” ‘and. news. media can be required to turn we HE. MOST "The, pubtieation ban: “of: evidence “regaiding the bail hearing of two North’. Vancouver men accused of murders in . Washington State. set in motion a point- "appeal paid for by the private sector, it. , Should be noted. ‘Given: that. the: ‘ban! affected only - Canadian media outlets “and that: the’ «ease. will be tried in the ‘United States, “one has, to question: the “judgement to. “yt @ North! “reasonable: recent court-imposed press ban in B.C, illistrates how’ .° over-zealous our ‘judiciary has ’s rights to. all documents relating to any inves- -) tigation launched by: the unelected | commissioner. The bill provides. for no trial by impartial judge. or. jury. All “three members -of the.’ Human: Rights . Commission will be partisan politi- ©, “cal appointments by the Provincial Cabinet... ! The list goes on. Democracy. and : freedom of expression won’t unless: : public demand ‘to: overturn such” anti-democratic legislation i is Fegis-: tered loud and clear. Write or ‘Phone your local MLA now: ” ” « - North : ‘Vancouver-Lonsdaie *, NDP MLA David Schreck - °140B Lonsdale Ave.“ ‘ North Vancouver, B.C.: V7M 2E8 ©: Phone: 986- 354; Far: 775-1034. “Vancouver-Seymour . Liberal MLA Daniel Jarvis | 4-1501 Lynn Valiey Rd.’ - * North Vancouver, B.C. V7J 2B1" Phone: 984- 2692; Fax: "175- 1061. West Vancouver-Capilane: Lib “eral MLA Jeremy Dalton : 306-1497 Marine Dr. : West Vancouver, B B.C. ‘Phone: 925-1611; Fax: 925-9658. ® West” Vancouver-Garibaldi In- -dependent : MLA’ David Mitchell - Phone: 922-7430; Fax: 715- 1449. ‘issue the bani in the ‘first ‘place: Press. bans are traditionally issued. to protect ‘the’ accused’s rights to a fair lication bans’ (ie. ‘Foronto’s | ‘Bernard trial. Evidence reported. through the. trial), ‘the granting © “of such’ bans S media prior.to jury selection, the think: , ' ‘ing goes, could make finding impartial Citizens. impossible. wis “ But the issuance of this bail- -hearing_ ‘ban. smacked | of ‘excessive, ‘knee-jerk © judgement. Considering no B, Cc. citizens could . qualify: for ‘jury duty in: King - ‘County, the arguments’ for implement- | ing such a ban under the ‘circumstances : are illogical. The fact that Seattle-based |. ed‘ the iegal bili for, the ‘appeal process, “news organizations where unaffected by. . swe as 2 society | would still be in the dark the B. c. Press. ‘ban further emphasi THE NONSENSE babbied ‘by left-wing politicians, including Chretien & Co:;:' against privatized medical © care boggles the mind. ~“Two-tiet” inedicine, Health Minister Diane Marleau calls it. That deliberately provocative term implies abundant quality health :, care for the wealthy and limited, ° inferior health care forthe poor A threat to the “sacred trust” of universal medicare that must be ©: fought tooth and nail, cries Marleau ~ by. cutting back federal health funds to any’ provinces allowing private clinics, Otherwise: “we'll soon be no better than the : States, with thousands of families “ruined, 0) So much for the rhetorical bilge: “What about today’s facts? e 22 x: First, skyrocketing medicare’ “costs, now some $70 billion.a year ; a — 10% of Canada's Gross. :: National Product —~ still can’t keep » pace with deniand, The results.” ever-longer waits for surgery and other treatment — while Canada‘ st $559-billion debt still soars by $1,200 per second. _~ IBC, patients presently wait” : an average of 3.6 weeks before see- . “Jing the specialist to whom their GP “refers them. After that'they wait an _average of-a further 7.7 weeks for. “treatment: In some cases the delays are much longer. Orthopedic : patients:can wait 10 weeks or’: longer to see a specialist, and:15-.. 16 weeks after that to be. treated. - . * Second, a “two-tier!” system. . already exists. Private clinics.“ "(which Marleau wants closed by “y “ October) in'B.C.; Alberta and else- where now provide Magnetic.; |; Resonance Imaging,“ cataract opera- ” tons and emergency. walk-in'ser- vice. Patients pay a “facility fee” “— ranging from $25 to. $1,000 -; -over the medicare contribution _ for the speed and convenience. The most significant item, how- . “ever, i is the $1 billion Canadians -- paid tast year for surgery in the’... .i U.S. That money likely shortened * Canadian hospital line-ups by. at’ least i14,000 patients but would * have obviously been far better spent boosting Canada’s economy. Revenue Canada alone probably lost $300-$400 million 1 in income: tax. : The claim that any privatized 4 ue | medical care will expose ‘Canadi 10 the horrors of U.S:-style medi cine is ‘a myth | invented by the’ ND} and socialists-in-Liberal-clothing: for their own political ends.’ How. otherwise to explain the success ‘of: privately funded parallel system ‘today in Britain (the cradle of “medicare”), Germany, ; France, as Belgium and New Zealand? ~ has one doctor per 370 German’ (Canada, one per 450 Canadians © 21.5% of the population admitted to hospital (Canada 14.1%); an . only 8.5% of the: Gross Nationa Product spent on health care; (Canada: 10%).. ; Allowing the’ ich to us money to queue jump | for medical And never Worry; i the way. about eae medicine taking Over STILL TIME to enjoy ' os : Watercolor Portrait”, the watercol-i * ors exhibit by West Van artist. ‘Bevil. Conway — on until Saturday,’ Aug.’ 26, at West Van library. His works .. grace many collections i in Canada and abroad.” me WRIGHT OR WRONG One . big plus about being martied . you never make a fool of you without knowitig it.’ the folly. of the bane - On the heels of highly publicized pub- Canada seems to have become the norm rather : than! what, it should; be ‘—-"th i “exceptioi Bee Es ; The’ judge: who, igsued the. bail-hea ing ban did Canadian society ’a“disser- Vice by placing | the onus of the need for. ‘the ban not on. ‘the. defence — “where belongs — but, ‘rather‘on the Crown; If nét for the media outlets that: foot- : and: for no » logical reason.