6 ~ Friday, November 14, 1997 — North Shore News Hol is a win that is really a loss. The decision handed down Wednesday orning by human rights tribunal- of-one Nitya Iyer performs a neat pirouette around the real issue: the leg- islation. under which the News has been run through the human rights wringer remains. And that is a loss for all Britisti Columbians who value their fragile rights of free expression. - Ms. Iyer, who was appointed by the provincial government to hear the complaint brought against the North Shore News and retired News colum- Mist Doug Collins, rv'ed that “although the publication in issue is ‘likely.to make it more acceptable for others to express hatred or contempt against Jewish people because of their race, religion or ancestry, I find that it -does, not itself express hatred or con- north shore news VIEWPOINT low victory justified ...” Even on that issue there is a smoke- screen wreathing the decision, a subtle rewriting, of the legislation to render that small victory a partial loss. On the larger issue of whether the legislation is unconstitutional, the News lost. Iyer concedes that it infringes your Charter rights of free expression, but determines that the infringement is justifiable. In other words: your right to free expression can be limited by the government of the day based on the fashion of the moment. The News’ partial victory, however, opens the door to seek a dec- laration through the courts that the NDP’s legislation is constitutionally invalid and therefore cannot be used to silence other voices. A victory there would be a real win for free speech in : tempt. Thexefore the complaint i is not THR North Shore News Free Speech Defence ‘Fand keeps on growing. To press time Thursday, donations from over 2,000 ., News readers and free speech supporters to the fund stood _tat $143,192. Legal fees expended thus far by the News . have: -already exceeded $200,000. The final ‘bil will be much higher. Alll funds received will help defrav the legal w, costs faced by the News in its battle with the . -Human Rights Tribunal over a complaint laid : .against-the newspaper and its columnist Doug .. Coilins by the Canadian Jewish Congress. * + The hearing into the matter, which began on May 12, concluded on June 27 with final arguments at : the Century Flaza Hotel in Vancouver. ~The decision from Nitya lyer, the tribunal of one - hearing the complaint, was handed down on Nov. 12. Full coverage of the decision starts on page one of today’s edition. Extra copies of the News’ Free Speech .. Supplement, which was originally published in the Aug. 20 News, are now available at the News offices. ‘Another excerpt from the hundreds of respon- dents to the cause: “Glad to do this in the name of free speech general- Ly. But, like many, Dm sure, I believe there are ; - bossnds beyond w: ich speech can be hurtful and “l * often inflammatory. ... Doug Collins, however, in wmtost of his features that I have come across throws a dash of acid on the pompous, tne scheming and the self-assured. And it is good to read such commentary. ... To go to the lengths of having this hearing before the rights tribunal has the marks of a witch bunt and should so be considered.” -~ George Cooper of Gibsons, B.C. Donations to the fund can be sent to: 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, V7M 2H4. Cheques should be made out to the North’ Shore News Free Speech Defence — trenshaw@divect.ca Worth Shore News, tounded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and quaktied wader Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 ot the Excise Tax Act, is pubtshed each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by Nortn Share Free Press Ud. and destnibuted tr every door on the Porth ‘Shore. Canzga Post Canadian Pubheations Mail ‘Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Wailing rates available on request. B.C. and Canada. Real costs of the new transit ie T hate to be the bearer of bad tid- ings. That's ‘mostly what they pay me for, though, come to think of it. In recent months you've had stressful news about possible Lions Gate Bridge tolls. Then, expan- sion of Larco’s Park Royal south mall. And this baby makes three: After negotiations with the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the provincial government enerously proposes to and over. fc Transit’s Lower Mainland public transportation sys- tem to the GVRD — which has been’ drooling to contro! it since it lost its input in 1979. Let’s get to the fears right away: West Vancouver Coun. Victor Durman and oth- ers say the GVRD is already projecting - ways of raising money to underwrite the systern. It would get such power under the le: How do you like a per-kilometre charge for your vehicle? How do you like the AirCare testing fee raised about six- fold, to $100 per test, and AirCare expanded to determine how many kilome- tres your vehicle has travelled since your last test? How do you like a rising transit tax on every litre of gasoline you buy? How do you like a per-vehicle tax in lieu of that, in case alternative fuels (like Ballard’s fuel cell) catch on, and revenues from gasoline decline? How do you like more taxes on property to prop up capital expenditures Tes Ghaih PETER SPECK Human Resources Manager Sales & Marketing Director 965-2131 (177) = 980-9511 (319) 985-2131 (101) Publisher Classified Manager 908-6222 (202) SOMEWHERE IN WINN PEG on public transit expansion in the next decade? How do you like a Greater Vancouver Transit Authority that would extend the current unelected (by direct democracy) GVRD power into the . transit field — effectively handing real power to GVRD bureaucrats? West Van Coun. Allan Williams muses that a GVRD mayor already has one full-time job; then a second as a member of the GVRD board. How could she/he expect to competently share in the handling of a $1-billion- per-year Lower Mainland public transit system as well? Answer: Impossible. The real authority would devolve to GVRD bureaucrats — which explains why they’re so over-the-moon about the proposal. Reader (in case there’s just one of you), when any senior government — but espe- cially Glen Clark’s — is actively trying to give you something, my advice is: Place your hand on your wallet and run, do not’ walk, to a safe sanctuary. Less poetically: To a question of mine, put face-to-face, to Marvin Shaeffer, the charming salesman for this deal, Shaeffer gave this signiticant answer: “The provin- cial government has no strategic interest in running a transit system.” : Substitute “political” for “strategic” and it becomes crystal clear: The Glen Clark government is delighted to unioad the transit system for the Lower Mainland on the GVRD because it knows damn well that (a) no present and future public tran-. sit system will be warmly loved (i-e., a LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must includa your name, ormscer| : vote- catcher), regardless of who runs it, n transit system in the history of the world” ”; having ever been beloved, and (b) no tran- sit system, also in the history of the world, has made money. (And neither have the .. roads that carry motor traffic. But the public transit zealots never mention the. dubsidies to the former. They always trum pet the subsidies to the latter.) Furthermore, switching a part (not all) of - BC Transit’s debt’on the GVRD will give’. Clark an instant improved financial balance: sheet — downloading the costs, which will swell over time, on you, Mr. and Mrs. . Lower Mainland Taxpayer. Applaud North Van District Mayor Don Bell: He hastily called an evening meeting of all North Shore mayors and councillors, the very day Vancouver: - - Councillor "George Puil announced the Victoria-GVRD negotiated deal. ° : If there was a consensus, it was: - Endorsed the concept. Rejected the deal Bottom line: Many Lower Mainland municipal politicians simply don’t trust, or. they find inadequate — even’after a recent question-and-answer meeting with the. : negotiators — the government’s figures. They demand an independent audit. And they especially resent the Clark’ government’s haste. The GVRD ratifica- tion.vote must be held by Feb. 28 — just” 3% months away. What's the rush? + - Suspicion: To improve the provincial bal” ance shect. oo00 : Peter T. Miller of the Coalition for a Healthy Community strongly rejects the suggestion in this column that the Park ‘ Royal Big-Box expansion is a done deal. The coalition is hounding the boxes’ head offices. More later. HOW.TOUREACH US! | Administration 985-2121 Display Advertising full address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca ‘ joug Foot Ti Comptoir 985-2131 (133) Renshaw Managing Editor 985-2131 (136) Wisi Agrios Promotions & Acting Display Manager 935-2131 (218) Entire contents @ 1997 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Michse! Becker - News Editor 985-2131 (114) Andrew McCredie - Sposta/Community Editer 985-2131 (147) } ery is\ Dre Aap lee ¢