Dear Editor: i have been-a B.C. Transit bus driver for the past 20 years’ and was sitting on my bus having my four- minute coffee break at Crescent Beach at 8:30 p.m. Friday Sept. |, reading your story about the bus dri- ver who failed to get involved in the middle of a gang rumble and proba- bly saved himself from setting his face kicked in. We were boarded by eight ~- drunken louts who asked my pas- sengers for money, stole transfers, screamed, shouted, farted. smoked, “drank beer, kicked in the‘rear win- dow and finally left-at Ocean Park ‘after subjecting me to.a mass spit- ting contest and being called every , foul name they could think of. ted: white, mp. _ 1 used our multi-million-dollar radio system to call for assistance and gat complete silence, This is not an isolated incident. As the courts and the police depart- ments are powerless against. these young thugs, why should a defence- less bus driver strapped into his cab with no assistance get involved in other people's drunken arguments? The driver you wrote about was 100% right in his actions. Not only would this bus be run- ning half an hour late due to having to wait for the police to arrive, but all the passengers would be incon- venienced and scared and mad at the driver for stopping, and more often than not, the suspects would just head out the back door when they advertorial Sept 20/95 ' CAPITAL PUNISHMENT My Private Member's. Motion, ' ‘Number 451, was scheduled for debate In Parliamont today. The motion stated: “That in the opinion of this House, the government should support and wark towards enabling. legislation for a binding national ref... > erendum on capital punishment to be held concurrently with the next feder- al election.” “The fact ‘that M451 caine ‘up for ‘debate just as public interest In the Iseue reactiod one of its peake is purely colncidental. | submitted the motion to the Clerks In earty April, and it wae solected for debata ina fandom drawing. of © Private ‘Mambers’ Business on May ‘29th. - Then, In the first weak of September, .. “| 1 got the’ news that it had been _placed on the agenda for September 20, 1988. in my role as ‘the Party Critic for : Democratic " Reforms |. have been preparing and submitting ‘a range of Private Member's : Bills . covering aspects of electoral and parliamentary faform ever since | was elected. A rat- -erendurn on capital punishment is just one of those initlatives, and has been " Reform policy for at least six years, We believe that there needs to ba an open and detailed, ‘public. discussion of the ». ‘pros and coris of capital. punishment, : ~ followed by: a public referendum vote, on re-intreduction. : Untorturately, the majority ‘Liberal : Government is unlikely to agree to ask | you. your ‘opinion’. in “a referendum “pecause it takes the attitude that you are incapable of coming to @ teasoried * and appropriate Gacision. : PUBLIC DECISION MAKING .- On’ September 6th and 7th, | was in Calgary as part of a Task Force maet- - ing which had been set up to review: : and refine Reform's ‘public’ decision making policies in advance of next June's Party Convention in Vancouver. Our discussions covered such topics ~.. as citizens’ initiatives, referendums, ;- recall, free votes in Parliament, meth: - ods MPs can use to determine the feel- “ings of their constituents about issues -. before the House, and the potential impact of new technologies on main- taining voters’ lists and carrying | out : voles. - The fact is that information ‘Age tachnologies are forcing parliamentary ‘Govemments throughout the world to react to the public demand for batter and mors ‘accurate representation by their MPs, Traditional or “old-line” par- “ties, and many of their supporters, do not like to hear this message but they _ “ate going to have to face up to the fact © ‘that elitist dacision-making is going the way of the dinosaur, ° «As Reform's Critic for Direct Democracy, | am doing my best to help” my, party develop future policies for Canada which will be both realistic and -Workadle at the federal level. We are “Not proposing “government by referen-: ‘dum’, even though the Swiss seem to tlative, . * Hopefully, a future provincial govern- qualify it : Government has recognized that a do a pretty good job using that method, but wae are proposing: significant changes to the present top dowr, dic- ‘tatorlal mathod of governing. EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE "Because this is my area of interest and responsiblity within Reform | could write a booX'on the subject. However, | will stick to briefly mentioning Just four places whero direct democracy. has tecelvid attention In recent times: : a) The small town of Roslyn, B.C., has ‘had workable initiative and ‘refer- endum practices in place fora tew years now, While residents have voted ' themselves tax increases from time to _ time for major projects, they ‘also appear to have voted special interest groups right out of town, and recently’ threw out of office every council mem- _. ber who did not support initiative and referendums, | (b). The Provincial Governmant! ‘ot BC. has made a mockery of. direct democracy by passing unworkable leg- islation that pays only lip service to ini- referendum and recall. ment will revisit this legistation. : " (c) The State oj ‘Montana racenity approved electronic voting by touch tone tefeohone forachool board elec- tions. This. is probably the first step towards fully electronic state elections in the near future. ‘ (d) New. Zealand pas sed the . Citizens Initiative and Referendum Act - In late 1993, debunking the myth that direct democracy ; initiatives ‘cannot work within a parliamentary system. - The faw has’ worked well in Nev ™ Zealand, even though there have net. been any referendums held to date, My ” - research indicates that each time. a group has managed to obtain ‘endugh signatures on a refersndum petition to for.’ registration,’ the problem needs to be addressed and has dealt with it promptly. This has .; encouraged ‘me to draw up a Private Member's Bill for Canada based on the New. Zealand experience and | am <;heping to introduce it during the Fail session. HOW CAN you HELP? a The most powerful tocts at your dis- posal for helping to change the system - are a-pen ‘and paper. Writing to the Prime’ Minister. and the’ Minister cf. “Justice makes them aware that sup- port for diract democracy initiatives is growing, and that they cannot continue to ignore the elactorate between elec- tions. You can write to either Minister to ask for a referendum on sapital punish- merit, free votes in Parli lament, or any other public decision making initiative at The House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OA6, You do not need a postage stamp. . have finished having their “fun.” Bus drivers are completely alone and defenceless in these situations and realize that it is unlikely they will get assistance from other pas- sengers because the public is aware that juvenile thugs are so well pro- tected by our justice system. The last time { stopped in Ocean ‘Park and phoned the RCMP for assistance, | was told that 1 had phoned the wrong detachment and to phone someone else just before I was knocked unconscious. with a beer bottle over the head. Colin W. Sinctaire, #27339 Richmond ‘Holiday Travel Showcase | * September 23/24. _ Vancouver Trade & Name ......0., 5p , onsored Pp ove “Address 2.0.0.0... 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