A CITIZEN complaint against a
West Vancouver Police officer
was abruptly dropped by the
complainant after testimony
from a complainant witness
appeared to contradict earlier
testimony at a Feb. 23 police
board hearing.

By Kevin Gillies
Contributing Writer

In a bizarre twist to the process,
North Vancouver resident Frank
Ludde, representing himself, walked
out of the hearing saying he was
afraid of being shot by West
Vancouver Police officers and that
“they appear psychotic and I'm
scared for my life.

“My life is in jeopardy. There’s a
man out there who sees little green
men with little pink cameras and he
carries a gun,” he said to stunned
members of the board and gallery.

West Van police officer Jim Almas
sat through three hours of damning
testimony from the complainant and
two of his. friends before Ludde
waiked out, denying Almas the oppor-
tunity to state his version of the story.

Lawyer Jim Williams, represent-
ing Almas, said none of the accusa-
tions were supported or substantiated

_ and that the “scandalous allegations”
were distressing and had serious
impact on his client personally. He

“called Ludde’s abrupt departure an
“abuse of the process.”

_.» The board.had heard testimony
about’a Feb. 4, 1994, incident in
which Ludde and three of his friends

. Were protesting outside of Capilano-
‘Howe Sound MP Herb Grubel’s con-
stituency office in West Vancouver.

Ludde alleged that a man from
Grubel’s office: assaulted him and
friend Peter Gendron, also of North
_ Vancouver. Gendron is confined to a
wheelchair. -

He also alleged that police treated
him ‘inappropriately and unprofes-
sionally. The police were twice called
to the scene: first by the occupants of
Grubel’s office and then by Ludde’s
group.

, Police arrived at the scene on
Bellevue Avenue but constables Anne
Mason and Almas left’ without any
charges being laid, any complaints
being lodged or the assault even

.. being.mentioned by Ludde, accord-

'. ing to witness testimony.

"..' The group recalled the police after

deciding to lay charges against an

unidentified assailant.

‘Complainant witness Jessie Bains
of Surrey corroborated Ludde’s testi-
mony.

-He said, “We weren’t too con-
cemed about laying charges (after the
first police visit). We felt it was an
isolated incident.”

-He added that the group only
decided to lay charges against the

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assailant after the group was “verbal-
ly abused” by occupants of Grubel's
office.

ft was at this point that Ludde
alleged he was told to “shut up and
quit wasting my time” by Almas.

Bains testified that Almas was
“boisterous” and “loud and persis-
tent” while Ludde was “calm and
cool and didn't lose his temper at all.”

The last witness, Gendron, said he
tried to register a complaint with
Almas “but he didn’t want to hear it

from me.

“| feel we were treated poorly by
this officer” he said.

The board, chaired by West
Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager,
expressed concern that only one side
of the conflict had been heard and
that it may damage the police force's
reputation.

Before Ludde dropped the com-
plaint, the hearing was to continue at
a later date to allow the defence to
present its case,

WHATEVER THE

CRISIS
WE HAVE

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Ted White, M.P.
#302 1200 Lynn Valley Rd.
North Vancouver

“March 1/95

On February 22, 1995 the
Government announced that it has
fulfilled its Red Book commitment to
change the MPs’ pension plan. Art
Eggleton, President of the Treasury
Board, revealed that a Bill to be intro-
duced in April will end double dip-
ping, reduce the cost of the plan, and
set a new minimum age for collection
of the pension.

MINIMUM AGE

The legislation will prevent new
MPs from collecting the pension
before age 55. However, MPs who
have already served six years, most-
ly Liberals, including the 52 who qual-
ified last November, will continue to
be eligible to collect at any age! Can
you hear some oinking and the pitter
patter of little trotters at the trough?

DOUBLE DIPPING

An MP earning more than $5,000
per year at a government job while
collecting a pension will lose pension
payments dollar for dollar above that
level. However, MPs covered by the
new minimum age rule will see their
pensions continue to grow with infia-
tion protection while they work until
age 55. This inflation protection is
almost non-existent in the private
sector. Can you hear more oinking?

REDUCED CONTRIBUTIONS

Art Eggleton claims the Liberal
Government will save you a tot of
money by reducing MPs' contribu-

§ tions to the plan from 11% to 9% of
_ salary. This looks to me more like a
disguised 2% pay increase for MPs
rather than a big saving for you, but

Mr. Eggleton insists that it will result:

| in significantly reduced MP pensions
in the future.’ :

V73 2A2

Telephone: 666-0585
Fax: 666-0509

| THE NEW MP PENSION PLAN |

Calculation of potential savings
indicate that Sheila Copps will now
qualify for a maximum payout of just
$2.7 million instead of $3.3 million,
Sergio Marchi qualifies for $3.16 mil-
lion instead of $4.0 million, Brian
Tobin for $3.64 million instead of
$4.17 million. These pensions will still
be inflation indexed.

ONE CHANCE TO OPT OUT

Only a plan which brought MPs
pensions into line with the private
sector would have been acceptable
to Reform MPs so it is fortunate that
the Government has promised a one
time “opting out" clause. At the time of
writing at least 48 Reform MPs had
decided to opt out, and Caucus has
appointed me and Randy White to
look at the feasibility of setting up our
own separate group pension plan.

The Government tried to call our
bluff by including the opting out
clause, which applies only to this
Parliament, because many Reform
MPs, including me, have demanded
in Parliament to be allowed to opt out.
Liberal Ministers showed real sur-
prise when they realized we would
follow through with our promise to get
out of the “gold plated” pension plan,
which is three times as generous as
any private sector plan permitted
under the Tax Act.

Reform MPs have kept their elec-
tion promise by refusing to trot up to
the new pension trough. You can let
the Prime Minister know what you
think about his new MPs’ pension
plan by writing to him at the House of
Commons, Ottawa ON, K1A OA6.

Late Breakirig * News: The
Government has just announced that
CCP your pension plan, will be broke

' in less than 20 years.

Wednesday, March 1, 1995 — North Shore News - 9

international
Women's Day Events

Wednesday, March 8

FREE LECTURES 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Numerous College faculty will be dedicating
their lectures to women's issues on this day.
The community is invited to attend.

There will be a display of Women's Studies
books in the Library, The Women's Centre will
host an open house from 10 a.m. until mid-
afternoon in the Library building, room 137.

THE MARY CATHERINE PATERSON
ANNUAL LECTURE

Dr. Karlene Faith will be speaking on “From
Witch-hunts to PMS: Women, Crime and
Punishment,” at 7:30 p.m. in the Lecture
Theatre, Cedar building, room 148.

A schedule of the day's events is available at
community centres, public libraries and on
campus at the reception desk in the Arbutus
building.

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North Vancouver
British Columbia
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