6 - Wednesday, June 20, 1990 — North Shore News INSIGHT OH DEAR... SOMEONES POISONED THE PRIME. MINISTER ...ANY SUSPECTS? “s Za ABMIT 26 MILLION. Political games HERE ARE many possible the North Shore failed \ast year to secure the B.C. Summer Games and lost again this year when a tri-municipal bid for the 1995 Western Canada Games was turned reasons why down. And many of those reasons stink. Part of the sorry truth of the matter is that for all of its riches, the North Shore does not possess a regulation- quality track and field facility. But the deficiency could be overcome A pecking belter feel for ical. Every by putting out some money. And it looks like the onus is on local govern- ment to address the problem new that lotcery funds attached to a successful B.C. Summer Games bid and capital the Western Canada Games will not be running our funding available with way. But there is more to it. Friday by for the 1995 order of municipal appli- cants attempting to host games comes in- to play. Ironically a track record of failed applications also helps. who allocate the right to host and those attempting to win a bid tend to have a Those each other. But the bottom line seems to be polit- bidding community has strengths and weaknesses. But holding safe Socred seats seems to be a liability in this case. The cynic need look no fur- ther than to Matsqui and Abbostford. Peter Dueck, Central Fraser Valley MLA and former minister of social ser- vices and housing, has had a tough time lately. The timing of the announcement Recreation Minister Hanson that his riding area won the bid Lyall Western Canada Games couldn’t have been better. . LETTER OF Collins wrong on Hong Kong Dear Editor: I see that Archie Bunker of the North Shore is still finding a forum for his “thoughts” in your otherwise fine paper. 1 am amazed that the Doug-o- saur (poor adaptability, walnut-- sized cranium) feels qualified to make generalizations on Hong Kong’s six million people based on two weeks in that city. 1 also spent some time in Hong Kong recently, and came to large- ly different conclusions. The superficial side of his stereotype has some merit — Hong Kong is a bustling, crowded, albeit exciting place. The Doug-o-saur gets into trouble, however, when he at- tempts to ascribe a sinister collec- tive consciousness to such a large group of people. If one thinks Hong Kong is ma- terialistic, 1 suggest taking a drive through Yorkville in Toronto or Robson Street in Vancouver any Friday night. The level of crass consumerism is about the:’same, the only difference being that ours is typically financed by credit. A demographic time bomb is ticking in Canada, as the ratio of working to retired persons decreases. As distressing as this is the fact that there are still Cana- dians (championed by the Doug- o-saur) who view a high standard of living, home ownership, and social security as birthrights, rather than rewards to be earned. Canada hasn’t stepped up to the challenges of the 1990's. Our levels of enrolment in scientific and technical post-secondary education are dismal. On a purely selfish level, we need the skilled ambitious people that selective immigration provides as much as these immigrants need us. On a moral level, we owe at least some degree of empathy to those in dire predicaments around the world. Gordon Janzen North Varcouver Mailing tales a: welcome Dut. unsolicited tn, envelope North Shore News, toundec in 1969 as an imdenendent suburban newspaper and quaiived under Scnedule 111 Paragraph Ui of the Exctse Ta» Act. 15 pubbshed each Wednesday. Friday and Sunday oy North Snore Free Press Ltd and distnduted to every door on tne Norn Shore Second Class Mail Registration Number 3684 Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25 pet year fie on teques! Submissions ate cannot accest responsunility fincluding Mansscupts and prctures whicn sfould be uccompamed by d stamped agnressed for Publisher Peter Speck wesmetormorrnanowsssumcousts Display Advertising 980.0511 Managing Editor Timothy Renshaw Classitied Advertsing 986-6222 . . : Newsroom 985-2131 Associate Editor Noel Wright Distnbution 986.1337 Advertising Director Linda Stewart Emiieuimasleniibedieelll Subscriotions 986-1337 1139 Lonsdale Avenue. North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 §9,170 (average. Wednesday Friday & Sunday} Py ey, Qo Sy SDA DIVISION MEMBER North Shore owned and managed Entire contents <) 1990 North Shore Free Press Lid. All rights reserved. © hither and yon ® | Tricky pro ‘e blem fo reformers to solve THE REFORM Party’s heart is in the right place — no question! — but whether its head is remains to be seen. | Getting the two to work together effectively is the eternal problem of political idealists. For a 3]-month-old party the RP’s progress to date is im- pressive. In 1988 it won 275,000 federal votes in western Canada (including 15 per cent of the Alberta vote). It already has a sit- ting MP and the country’s first elected Senator. In B.C. it’s now working hard to win the Quadra riding when John Turner steps down. Disgruntled Tories and Socreds, flocking to its meetings in hun- dreds, have both Brian Mulroney and Bill Vander Zalm rattled — the latter despite RP leader Preston Manning's reluctance so far to enter the provincial field. The RP’s rapidly mushrooming appeal to disillusioned right wing voters is its dedication to “grassroots” politics. Along with an ‘‘equal, elected and effective’’ Senate to give the west more clout in Ottawa against Ontario and Quebec, the party platform has two other key de- mands. First, national referendums — binding on government — on ma- jor issues such as Meech, abortion and capital punishment. Second, the right of voters to initiate such referendums and to ‘‘recall’’ (read, fire!) MPs flouting their wishes. Attractive as this sounds to voters fed up with having no real control over their elected servants for four to five years after electing them, it does have one trouble- some snag. The practical effect is similar to proportional representation, where votes are cast not for individuals but for parties — which get one MP for every so many thousand votes they win. Under ‘‘prop-rep’’ Brian Mulroney would now head a mi- nority government with only 127 seats. Ditto Bill! Vander Zaim, sweating it out with just 34 seats. In fact, ‘‘prop-rep’’ makes a majority government virtually im- possible, as Israel has discovered. There, up to a score of small fr- inge parties wield disproportionate power by forcing the government to cobble together shaky coalitions in order to survive. A Reform Party government would face the same protlem, though for a different reason. With MPs dancing to the tunes of many widely differing constituen- cies — rather than to that of their cabinet — its majority would be theoretical only. Even in opposi- tion, party effectiveness could suffer in a similar way. Democracy, said Winston Churchill, is the worst form of government except for all the others. By definition it means rul- ing in the interests of the majori- ty. But how, in practice, cana government subservient to a score of conflicting minorities perform this task? If the grassroots Reformers, with so much else going for them, can solve that tricky problem, they’l!l be the first in history to do so! anaes WRAP-UP: The price is right at the Folkfest '90 performances this weekend in the Centennial Theatre — all three 8 p.m. shows are ad- mission free. Among Saturday features are a Persian vocalist and Polynesian, Scottish and Chinese dancers. Sunday it’s the turn of Japanese and Hungarian dancers, Mexican and Slovenian Folkloric groups, the Italian Choir and the Sweet Adelines — while Monday highlights include songs from the Music Makers, Chinese Guzheng music, country and square danc- ing. The whole a colorful three- night feast of multicultural talent, promises Folkfest chairman Stella Jo Dean ... Seeking “‘lost’’ grads for its Class of ’80 reunion Aug. 3-5 is Prince George Secondary — if you qualify call Lynn, (1) 563- 1041, or write Box 1468, Prince George V2L 4V4 ... And happy 47th anniversary today to West Van’s Frank and Noreen Wilson. tet WRIGHT OR WRONG: There , are always lots of people eager to carry the stool when the piano has to be moved. photo submitted ITALIAN FOLK chorus ...one of the many colorful Folkfest shows Saturday through Monday at Centennial Theatre.