od sh hit the target Aug. 31 at North Vancouver District Council. Armed auxiliaries pack more punch than thei: unarmed coun- terparts. And, even though they took five months to reach that conclusion, district’ councillors unanimously endorsed a May 29 Joint Police Liaison Committee report recommendation that cailed for the re-arming of auzil- iary police officers until a review of their role has been compieted. _ B.C. Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh removed said firearms from auxiliaries ast April. The rationale for the move is bound up somewhere in the blurry zone. of budge: concerns over the cost of training auxiliaries and provincial Kability.. Concerns over the latter arise if an auxiliary were to be . involved i in a shooting. * When the decisioa to take away their “The Five Year Pian could also be titled How I Spent north shore news __ VIEWPOINT of guns was made, auxiliaries in North Vancuuver and elsewhere voted to stop working uniformed patrols. They had their own Hability concerns: being in a situation that put them at the receiving end of a gun or other weapon with no way to defend themselves. Budgetary concern is another issue. Removal of the estimated 175,000 vol- unteer hours provided by auxiliaries could end up costing up to $7.88 mil- lion. Auxiliary police officers work with regular police officers in a host of situ- ations. Some present real danger to auxiliary and regular officer alike. —- Both need adequate tesources to defend themselves in their service to protect the community. | The potential cost of not providing those resources is far greater than any, potential cost of providing them. IF pueltc OPINION PREVENTS 4S BiG BANKS FROM MERGING, WE | may BE FORCED TO Cut GACK ON — Time to hold feet to the fi mer Vacation.” Na * di tree's new Wve ea financial plas. 11-Neiws story.) a 900 lot of the audience had pierced im: Festival” premiere, of ber film A Place Called ma Sept. 11 New The Week story.) and gals who Be | us the six o’clock frori. 2 perspective. It’s ice et but it’s not. The whole vity in journalism, 7 have a lot of fun ‘unattainable.” ty:in journalism. (From the same Sept. og story) Te brings in lots of Beopis. The right now.” upervisor Guylene . Leroux, ‘on the urant’s business from the Capilano Mall's e-free. (2 men So Sept. 9 News story, ). mind them. (ids) havin but this is Are th tea of the young manager Sam Monfared on. the an by the Motor Carrier Commission (From a Sept. 6 News story.) CQG time.” ncouver-Stinshine ‘Coast MP John Reynolds on Ottawa and the news has been appointed Reform ms a Sept. 6 News story.) 8 War Seoce tows, founded in 19602 an independent suburban newsprper and quaified __ Under Scheasie 111, Paragtagh 111 of the Exaise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, friday and Sunday by North Shose Free Press ‘Lad. and distrituted tis every door on the North IN John Reynolds West Van- Sunshine Cvast voters didn’t only elect a hardworking, high- ly experienced MP, they also got themselves a lucky one. Just a week after being named to the prestigious post of Reform party justice critic Reyno!ds is already front and centre in the attack on an apparendly flagrant vio- \stion of citizens’ con- stitutional rights and accompanying cover-up by Orrawa during last evember's Asia-Pacific Econcmic Cooperation summit in Vancouver. We're talking about the RCMP's pepper spraying and beating of students T protesting against former Indonesian president Suharto and his occupation of East Timor, as the now deposed dictator's motorcade passed y: Hearings on the students’ charges against the Mounties are scheduled to open tomorrow before the RCMP Public Complaints Commission. Mcanwhile, copies of confidential government and RCMP correspondence on security measures for Suharto — obtained by CBC News and passed to Reynolds — suggest the Mounties’ harsh treatment of what scems to have been a perfectly legal protest was no mere matter of police over- reaction in the heat of the moment. On the contrary, they indicate the RCMP were carrying aut the direct wishes of Prime Minister Jean Chretien that Suharto should not be “embar- rassed,” There’s also the shocking suggestion that Suharto’s armed Indonesian body- guards — here as guests with guns on Canadian soit! might themselves have fired on the protesters if the Mounties had net first quelled the latter. As an opening assign- ment for the opposi- tion’s new justice critic the subject matter and timing of last week's leak could hardly be more perfect. Reyiiolds points out that the revela: STRIKING Air Cnaita pi exactly covered in glory, eith stranding thousands ver. th: busiest travel wecks:, deserving evecy last cent jus: safely surely applics to ALL. or docs death in.a float plan rate cheaper than in'a.747, The “Payback time” pi much brighter. If Air Canada making a profit, why first for the passengers who pilots? Anyway, that $13% loss to the company most of-the rece! one to Square Onc. Come on, guys! You've skilled, responsible job t tions of direct government. involvement. $10 in the police action elevate the matter toa far higher level than tomerraw’s - internal RCMP probe. He’s demanding nothing less than a full-scale judicial inquiry, headed by “a retired judge of natidnal status,” into every aspect of the affair. So watch John Reynolds when. Parliament reassembles on Sept.21. Nothing caa help restore Reform’s tat- tered image, foliowing the recent pen- sions kerfuffic, like running with this ball until it scores. Chretien and-his Grits have much explaining to do about their ideas of democratic freedoms and constitutional : rights. The op; chance to osition never had a better - old their feet to the fire. - ; pilots put t _ Save a fine the theme “Touring TT subjects range from wilderness to > dramatic get, motion is not ‘ actions 622 | LETTERS TO THE ED/TOR Letters must include your name. full address & teleptione number. 908-1337 (124) 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Fridty & Sunday} ‘ Photography Manager $S5-27St (127) OG-2131 (160) VIA e-malt: trenshaw @ direct.ca 206-6222 (202) . Entire contents © 1997 North Shote Free Press Ltd. All rights recerved.