Faday, Jupg 10, 1994 -

North Shore News - 7

Premier Mike rattles sabres over Quebec’s separation threats

PLEASE GIMME a break.
Suddenly our own miidly
pleasant Premier Harcourt is
trying to sound like all four
horsemen of the apocalypse
on the subject of Quebee.

By Dougias Broome
Contributing Writer

“If you decide to separate, then
we could be your worst of enemies,’
Harcourt told the people of Quehee
through the curious medium of the
Vancouver Sun.

What next? The BC Ferries Meet
dispatched to save the oppressed
people of Ungava? A battalion of
spin dociors and fair-wage insped-
tors liberating the Eastern
Townships from the tyranny of the
Parizites?

As Esaid, gimme a break, Mikey.

Harcourt has obviously been lis-
lening to the tough talk on Quebec
from the likes of talk show host
Rafe Mair and defrocked Liberal
‘Gordon Wilson, and has probably

ammissioned a poll to tell him
“what he should say.

The problem with leading from
the rear, as is Harcourt’s custom, is
that national unity requires not some

.

cheap Quebee bashing but leader-
ship and vision,

Although no rational person
wants to reopen the constitutional
conundrum, the dain thing just
won't go away. tsa
constant irritant.

liver since Lord
Durham teported Canada
to be “avo nations ware
ting in the hosom ofa
single state™ on 1839,
Quebec has heen the
pivot of Canadian histo-
ry: anglophone-francoph-
one relations ure the feit-
motifof Canadian politics.

The slaze was set for the latest
round of the constitutional constipa-
tion on the evening of May 20,

1980, when a tearful premier Rend
Lévesque promised the assembled
supporters of the failed suvereigmy-
association referendum that Quebee
would have “a rendezvous with her
destiny,”

As the crowd broke into sponti-
neous round after round of Gens du
Pays, the haunting fotk song that
became the Quebec anthem,
Lévesque left the stage with a defi-
ant “A fa prochain fois” — Until the
next lime, And the next time seems
always on the horizon,

Lev sue Parizeau, Teudeau,
Wells, Clark, McKenna, Cladtion,
Tumer — We may have disagreed
with many of these leaders in the
surreal constitutional debates, but

ee
66 Phe most charitable
interpretation is that the man is
completely out of his depth and
doesn’t know what he’s doing.

they showed leadership in redefin-
ing our improbable Canadian feder-
ation.

And then there is the strange case
of our own Premier Harcourt, The
most charitable interpretation is that
the man is completely out of his
depth and doesn’t know what he's
doing,

Although he now fikes to pretend
otherwise, Hurcourt was an early
aad ardent supporter if Quebec as a
“distinct society,” a code-phrase for
special status,

So why is Harcourt now getting
on the ao-special-status bandwagon?

Anyway, special status for vari-
ous provinces is as Canadian as

‘News reader raises concerns
over cross-burning response

by the KKK. It is highly unlikely
that this symbol would be used by

Dear Editer:

1 ain writing to express my seri-
ous concern about the statements
written ia an article and the letter
sent to the North Shore News by
Vancouver Sun. writer Brian

oo Morton regarding the cross-burn-

“ing incident that. occurred on the
‘North Shore in 1991. ;

Morton states that his source of
information was a conversation
~~ with Kaywan Dashti, who provid-
. ed his personal opinion about the
possible culprits; however, it was
reported as an irrefutable fact.

The comments were: nothing

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but speculation.

{tis my understanding that the
victims are still living under the
trauma and fear caused by that
unfortunate incident and have
refused to speak to the press. If as
Mr. Morton reports, Mr. Dashti
has heard that the cross-burning
was perpetrated by a fellow
Iranian to scare the victims, the
supporting evidence should be
supplied to the RCMP. to facilitate
apprehending the perpetrators
regarcvsss of race.

‘The inverted cross-burning is a
recognized symbo! or racism used

By Brody Development Corp.

2 bdrms; 1300 sq.ft. 2 + den

Canadians of franian origin.
regardless of any antagonism or
dispute among them.

It is naive to say there is no
racism on the North Shore. We all
know that racism is one of the
many challenges facing our soci-
ety. The North Shore is no excep-
tion. The denial of the problem is
like covering an ugly sore that
continues to fester underneath.
Alfredo Sepulveda
President, North Shore Multi-
cultural Society

Come by the Presentation Centre and view our model of
the site, renderings & floor plains as well as interior colour
schemes and finishing materials

tiple syrup and gasernment subsi-
diess there ts absolutely nothing new
toi

AL Quebec potitical parties want
ore powers fram Otkuwi, more sity
in areas like immnigra-
tion, labor muirket ind
communicitions policy.
And Onawa is free to
negotiate bilateral trans:
fers of power without
any constitutional
amendinent,

But Harcourt says
B.C. must have every.
thing Quebee gets,
whether or not we acttally want
those powers, and then has the gall
to Whine when Ouawa actually
starts “dumping" increased responsi-
bilities in Victoria,

Daring the Charlatetown debite
in a renewed Senate, Harcourt
became known as the “laughing:
stock” of the conference,

While the Senate seats were
being divided tp, Bob Rae sent mes-
sages to Harcourt teling him to pay
attention. But clucless Mikey carried
on in his oblivious ways, costing the
province several Senate seats,

{ guess we should be thankful
that there was one NDP premier
looking after B.C.'s interests.

99

Moe Sihota, the ther-interov-
ermmentil affairs minister, com
ponnded Harcourt's dismal perfor:
manee,

Sthota, the Petr Nedved of BC,
politics, a superstir in his evn inind,
breached all political decorum when
he said Quebeo Premier Bourassa
had misread public feelings in
Quebee,

Later, Sihota said that he hid
“stirred dawa™ Bourassi an asser-
tion that came as a surprise to other
conference participants who
couldn't recall Moe's Clint
Eastwood glare,

Another briggart, former prin
ininister Brian Mulroney, boasted
that he had rolled the dice with the
Meech Lake accord. :

The dice are still cunblingsand
the future of our wonderfl country
rests on their eventual fale

A Quebee republic would be
confident of its distines ideatity, cul.
turally rich, arul ineratisingly able to
hold its own in the avorld economy,
Canada without Quebeo would be
Ontario and ber colonies, a fractured
collection with’a weakened central
government,”

Qnee the first province succumbs
to the Anicrican embrace, the rest
will surely foliow.

Applause e for the police

Dear Editor: /

I feel compelled to pass on a
word of commendation concern-
ing the work. of our fine North
Vancouver RCMP bicycle squad.

Yesterday I found that van-

dals had cut out the portion of

my rear car licence plate that car-
ries the insurance expiry date.

To avoid driving illegally, [
immediately contacted my insur-
ance agent who issued me new
licence plates,

In the meantime, | did another
errand close by, but when exiting

the store found two young bicy-

ele police inspecting the rear of

my car. | explained the circum-

stances, advising | had the new

plates just purchased but not yet

installed. They were very profes-

sional and helpful, and even -
installed the plates for me.

We should commend our
policemen for their fine work,
and also acknowledge that our .
world is still full.of wonderful.
caring young peuple.

Boreen McNichol
North Vancouver