NEWS VIEWPOINT ONTROLLING INFORMATION is , one of the NDP government’s keys to political survival. Its Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, ‘launched in October 1993, ‘initiated what some considered a new age of , . information openness. } “But it is ‘becoming increasingly apparent that the act is aimed more at conserving pri- * vacy, specifically. privacy of government _jinformation, than allowing public access to _ the information it has a right to. - From the outset, the:act threw numerous roadblocks in ‘the path of the unschooled ‘man on the street who might naively bave thought that previously unavailable govern- ment.documents and other political dross ‘generated by. the free-spending folk in Victoria would be his for the asking, it provided, for or example, over 100 assort- fo expense ed excuses for withholding information from the public in a dense unreadable 60- “page tract. It also provided overly broad exemptions ‘for presumed personal privacy that gives the government far too many excuses for con- cealing information. / And now the most recent revelation from B.C.. Reform party house leader Jack Weisgerber is that every request for informa- ' tion from the freedom of information legisla-: tion costs about $2,000, a prohibitive expense for any private citizen. Weisgerber also told the legislature that the information he received for his $2,000. investment was a load of censured “pap.” Thus far the NDP’s version of information freedom has provided little:information and what is provided is far from free. Such is the NDP way. _Hunter’s meaty column applauded Dear Editor: I applaud Bob Hunter for tack-. ling the loaded topic of what’s wrong with eating meat in his April 24 Insights column. ‘The agri-business conglomerates may seem the obvious villains, but we are equally to blame for our shameful public apathy which allows the hideous practices of fac- tory farming to continue. Meat. Thate the word. It gives me the impression that this is something other than a drug- and chemical-injected tiunk of dead flesh that once belonged to a living, breathing, feeling creature who lived a tortured existence from the moment of its birth to the time of its slaughter. Until we grasp this, acknowl- edge this, and above all, take responsibility for this, nothing will ever change. We need to level with our chil- dren about where meat comes. from and at what unethical price those bloody (oops, | mean “juicy”) steaks are slapped down on the family barbecue. Home economics classes should gear towards educating children about the endless possibilities of cooking without meat, _John Robbins’ eloquent and inspiring book. Diet For a New America should be required reading for all students before leaving high school. Talking about this does. not make you popular. Most people would rather turn their heads. I just wish every factory-farmed bird and anima! could tune reality out as eas- ily. Hey, Mr. Spielberg, if you want a strong follow-up to Schindler's List, have I got a story for you! Tanya Coad North Vancouver Publisher Managing Editor Assoctate Editor... Salea & Marketing Director Comptrelter Peter Speck imothy Alanshaw .Noet Wright Linda Stewart Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schodule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Prass Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North Shore, Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sates Product Agreement No. 0687238 - Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed V7M 2H4 Norin Shore Managed Display Advertising 980-0511 Distribution 986-1357 Real Estate Adveriising . 985-6982 Subscriptions 986-1537 Classitied Advertising 986-6222 Fax 985-3227 this newspaper Newsroom 985-2131 Administration 985-2131 contains fecycied fibre —— MEMBER Gna ans | 1 139 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver B.C. SOE DUISON , envelope, Entire contents © 1994 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. 61,562 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) LIKE THEIR arch-enemies in Quebec, Jean Chretien and his Liberals suffer from one fatal weakness — inabil- ity to deal with reality. If you don't, of course, reality eventually deals with YOU. The weakness emerged in February with Paul Martin's pathet- ic “do-nathing” budget, which guarantees to keep Ottawa's halt trillion dollar debt spinning ever farther out of control. He continues with Chretien whistling past the graveyard as Lucien Bouchard, the traitorous leader of “Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition,” prances around Washington, western Canada and Paris telling all and sundry how easily and painlessly Quebec will destroy the nation. The PM has been desperately trying to keep the lid on the already boiling Quebec issue by cheerfully insisting that la belle province will never vote fot separation. Understandably, bow- ever, he doesn’t go into too much detail about his assurance. Maybe it’s based on faith that Liberal Premier. Daniel Johnson can still win the upcoming Quebec election. Or that if Johnson is beat- en by Jacques Parizeau’s Parti Quebecois — as the smart money predicts — it merely means Quebecers want a new government, not a new country. : Whatever ... the lid came right off the pot last week when B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt blew his stack, vowing B.C. and Quebec would become “the worst of ene- mies” if the latter seceded, and sug- gesting parts of a sovereign Quebec might be lopped off. He was echoed by Indian Affairs Minister « ’ Ron Irwin who also said a separat- ed Quebec’s borders could shrink if , - its native Indians opted to remain - Canadian. - Bouchard’s and Parizeau’s out- raged screams — insisting that the borders of Quebec (though not - those of Canada) are inviolate under international law — could be heard all the way from the Chateau Frontenac to Sooke. The gloves were finally off, with Chretien in his dream-world still desperately trying to calmn things down. He has no hope of doing so. His bid to sti- fle vigorous debate on the Quebec issue merely emphasizes how far the Grits have lost touch with the Canada of 1994 which they’re sup- posed to lead. Don’t do anything, they warn, to” suggest The Rest Of Canada (TROC) regards a separatist victory at the upcoming Quebec election as a certainty (which it most likely is). Don’t do anything to feed sepa- ratism by making Quebecers feel insulted or unwanted. And don’t press your government about its plans, if any, to protect TROC’s interests, should the worst happen. Just keep quiet and trust us. With the possible break-up of Canada less than 1S months away, this “Father Knows Best” nonsense -— which resulted in the defeat of Meech and Charlottetown, and destroyed the Tories — no longer works, The great majority of citizens in TROC want Quebec to continue as a valued partner in Confederation. But they refuse to be bullied, black- mailed and bamboozled any longer by Bouchard and Parizeau. They .— as in Speck ~- celebrating his HITHER AND YON want all the cards on the table right away, and everyone — especially Quebecers — perfectly clear about how high the stakes are. This time, says TROC, it’s GUR turn to set the agenda. WRAP-UP: One of 130 studenis coast to coast who visited Ottawa last month on the “Encounters With Canada” program, Haudsworth’s Grade’10 Alim Jiwa.was among: -.. the nine who got to have a short - chat with Prime Minister Jean Chretien. “An excellent person,” says Alim. “He spoke on mutlticul- : turalism and had positive ‘things to say” ... “The Issue Of Gambling” is the topic at the 9 a.m. breakfast meeting forum this Saturday, May 28, sponsored by North: Van Liberals at the Coach’ House —~— tickets at the door :.. Mark your cal- endars, bridge-watchers, for the ~ Lions Gate Crossing Stakeholders’ round table,. sponsored by . Highways Minister Jackie Pement ¢ Wednesday, June 1,’at’7 p.m. at West Van secondary school — everyone welcome but register at 683-0360 soonest if. you wish to make, an individual submission ... Happy 75th birthday. today, May 25, to North Van's June Martin ... Many happy returns of: tomorrow, May 26, to our valiant. boss Peter prime of life at 55 ... And more of |“ the same Friday, May 27, to Mt. Seymour Lion Stan Kryszkiewice wihto turns 31. WRIGHT OR WRONG: Success ° is getting up one more time than you fall down..: . : i 5 ‘Photo submitted FIVE-MINUTE love-in... Alim and Jean.