PLEASE ‘STOKE the fire; |:

and hold Jacques Parizeau’s :
feet close to it! |

. All evidence so far suggests the
result of the’ Quebec referendum
sometime this year is inseparably
. linked to the credibility of the
_-,»,Province’s separatist premier, now.
“,, under increasingly hard scrutiny...
,°. "Recent polls show significantly
_, less than a majority of Quebecers
- in favor of separation. ‘The reasons
“are now emerging in the reports of :
the:18 hand-picked “sovereignty.
“commissions”! which Parizeau sent °
forth during February to consoli-
. date the drive for independence. ..
“It didn't work. Far from rallying
on cheering audiences around the sep-
‘aratist flag, the forums often found
themselves sidetracked by anxious -
questions about the economy,
: unemployment and local issues.
‘ Thus, in commission reports:
from key areas like Montreal, . .
" Quebec City and the Trois-Rivieres
. region the basic message is the.
same: Yes, independence may be a
: neat idea, but let’s not rush into it
“until .we first’know what the bread-
and-butter consequences wili be.
:. Parizeau has only himself to:
: blame. Central to his independence
“campaign has been the theme of
~ “business as usual” with a truncat-.
ed Canada and the outside world.
“© <° He promises Quebecers contin- -
-ued use of Canadian dollars, dual
Canadian citizenship and ongoing
“y: Membership of such iaternational
aS a trade Clubs as NAFTA and i the

hither

and yon

‘ Autopact. But it would NOT be

business as usual for.quite practical
reasons —~ not merely because
Canada was in a snit and wanted to
retaliate.

Long-term use of the Canadian
dollar, for example, would require
a complex currency union mechs-
nism regulated by the Bank of:
Canada.

Fast agreement on the federal

. debt and all other details (highly.

unlikely if Quebec walked out uni-
laterally) wou!d be vital to avoid

‘the collapse of investor confidence

and a flight of capital — leading to

. a severe economic downturn and

soaring unemployment all round.
Again, allowing Quebecers also
to hold Canadian citizenship could

_ force Canada to pay them social

benefits for which no Quebec taxes
were received. Nor is there any
guarantee that Quebec, as a :
Johnny-come-lately independent

ELON AL

ORTH VANCOUVER-Lonsdale ‘NDP

/>MLA David Schreck is proving busy of

late in his dogged lust for the hoary
hide of Doug Collins.

His opposition to the views of the loathed
and loved North Shore News columnist is fre-
quently and forcefully voiced.

David Schreck and his kind would have
dissenting vaices, especially those who speak
intemperately from a perspective diametri-

caliy opposed to the personal values to. which.
they adhere, silenced, squashed, and cen- .

sored.

Mr. Schreck’s Usenet on-line sniping at
be.general about Collins and the News’ Web
site content is just one example of a broader
mindset and fear.

The mindset yearns for the tyranny of
politically correct pleasantness and societal

TENNER AST C85 COCCHI OAS RUN CA

It's mother’s admonishment “if you
haven't anything nice to say, say nothing at

all” carried to the extreme by a paternalistic

government addicted to regulatory fixes.

In this case the goal is a further limitation |
of freedom of expression. ,

Don’t get it wrong: this is not a criticism of
David Schreck simply because he speaks from
a left-of-centre perspective.

Were a right-wing government to try what
the B.C. government is presently attempting /—
with its dubious Bill 33 “Kill Collins”, legisla-’ .
tion;on a broader. quasi-judicial. front, the
initent would be equally wrong.

Were Schreck a Reform MLA, his position
of righteousness would cast.the same odor. -

A’ healthy democracy cannot functio
under a condition of freedom of speech fet.
tered by the qualifier “except for those i don't

control.

FY.

state, could j jump the queue ahead
of other nations already lining up
to join international groups like
NAFTA.

Plenty of other questions loom,
as yet unanswered. Where would
an independent Quebec’s borders
lie? Would it retain the huge
Ungava territory ceded by Ottawa
AFTER 1867? Under whose juris-
diction would the Seaway come?
What land link would Canada have
to the Maritimes?.And what about
Quebec aboriginals demanding to
remain within Canada?

Even Quebec separatists sense i
_ the mounting problems and are at
. last weighing the murky “morning-,

after” effect on their wallets and

jobs. Big, patriotic hearts they may!

have — but also hard heads.

So the job now for all opponents ,
of separatism is to concentrate on.
exposing as widely as possible :
Parizeau's tattered “business as.
usual” credibility. For hawking to
Quebecers:a dream that could =
become their worst nightmare, his .

- feet richly deserve to scorch! *

"ARTS RELATED evening classes

and seminars start April at the! new
Spirit of the Cove Gallery it

Deep Cove — 929-1758 for, info ...:

And happy birthday Tuesday,
March 28, to Mt. Seymour Lion
Dave Elphick. Pi

ees |

WRIGHT OR WRONG: If you
think you’re too small to matter,

-you’ve never been in bed with a

mosquito.

_ agree with” :

f

“Ina jewelry store you can’t!
have high school kids handling
merchandise worth more than
»theircar??

Lugaro Jewellers manager
Tawny Jeltis, on the high cost of
staffing the Capilano Mall store
_ during extended shopping hours.
(From a March 22 News story.)

“That $100,000 got pulled out
of your pocket like a cheap
‘cigar’? °

Al McIntosh of the North

; Lonsdale Ratepayers’ Association,

speaking out against the money
approved by North Vancouver
District Council for the design of
the Montroyal Connector. (From a
March 22 News story.)

. “When there are bucks
involved, self-restraint and pro- ,
fessionalism are lost in the shuf-'
fle.”

mailinox

'

Lah i quote Ss of the week

Lawyer Howard Shapray, o ona.
local tadio station’s broadcast of an.
emergency 9-1-1 call from the ~:”
accused in a West Vancouver mur-

"der case, on thé ethics of broad-

casting such evidence, (From a
March 24 News story.) :

eee

“For all I know, Camis’:

‘might well heave with drearily

liberal media, gay bishops com-_
ing out, and its own multicultur- .
alism, just like Britain. But in the”
British mind, Canada is all. on

. Mounties, fur trappers, huge

locomotives crossing endless...
prairies, anda generous people -

: sending | us food parcels during
the war?.\° ©

Frank Johnson in the Sunday
Telegraph, on'the British view of
Canada. (From the March 19 Doug’
Collins On’ the Other Hand cole;

SeaBus solution backed

Dear Editor:

Re: News Viewpoint _ SeaBus :

solution.

Words of praise are in order for
the North Shore News staff. with
respect to this editorial. ;

SeaBus ‘service to downtown’

Vancouver from new locations such |

as Ambleside, Capilano’ Road ‘and
‘Seymour Road are well worth being
given serious deliberation when you

“ consider what ‘an “expensive, ‘hin-

drance a car can be.to those ‘who-

work or shop in the downtown core.’

Catamaran ... technology .. has:
recently got the attention of the B.C.
Ferry Corp. —~ perhaps B.C. Transit’
Authority should listen in and con-.
sider whether expanded SeaBus ser-
vice is in our future. 20"

William Scott ..:.
North Vancouver. «:”

Valorie Stephenson Trix! Agrioa ©

Poter Kvarnstrom
Display Manager.
960-0541 (103).

Linda Stowart.
Sales & Marketing Director
980-0511 (318)

Timothy Reashaw
Comptrotier : Operations Manager Managing Editor
885-21 3 { 433) 985-2131 (£94) 988-2131 (116)

North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an
_ independent suburban newspaper and qualified
under. Schedula 111, Paragraph 111 of the
Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press .
: Lid, and distributed to every door on the Nerth
Shore. Canada Post Canadian Pubuications Mail
. fates available on request. Submissions are.
». | welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for.”
~ unsohcited material inctuding manuscripts and
‘pictures, which should be accompanied by a

“Pater Speck >". Boug Foot
Publisher 150! |

‘ <. Promotions Manager |<
‘985-2134 (104).

: Classified Manager A
- 885-2131 (137).

986-6222 (202). :
Administration MEMBER -
Diepiay Advertising
Frei Estate Advertising
Cisacified Advortising :

1139 Lonsdale Avenue ™

.North Vancouver B. C.
27M 2@H4 ce
North Shore Managed

SDA DIVISION .
61 582 (everage cireutation, Wednesday, Fridey & sunday) ©
* Entire contents © 1995 North Shore Frée Press Ltd. Ali rights reserved.”