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LIBERAL MP TeD McWHINNEY DEFENDS His DECISION.
To NOT OPT OUT OF THE MP PENSION PLAN: |

WHAT. CAN‘ we do to.

-smarten them up? :
‘Politicians, we're talking
about.

Never has their collective repu-'
ation in Canada and elsewhere
“sunk: lower than today. Fathers‘:
oho never wanted their. daughters
“to marry One now don't even want |
“ their sons‘seen ‘around with them. -

a a

ne vs wie went

REE. SPEECH | starts. at home.
Unfortunately so dees the movement
against it.

That. reality is best illustrated locally by —

‘North Vancouver District Coun. Ernie Crist.
Regardless of where he currently resides

on the curve of popular opinion, the oft-abra-

sive district politician is a fervent believer in

the principles of free speech and. acutely

aware of how easily they can be eroded.
His. recent motion to reaffirm. council’s

commitment to free’speech and to push the

_Union of B.C. Municipalities to endorse the
Declaration ‘of. Chapultepec from -
Hemispheric Conference on free speech held
in 1994 in Mexico bears that out. ue

~ council is voting on motions dealing. vith con-

It’s especially sad in light of the.”

” shining idealism with which MPs
and MLAs, when first elected,
“approach their new vocation. But:

- by. the end of their first term (earli- »

er for fast learners) the party whips
ave fixed ail that. In our system
it’s the boss man’s way — or a on
litical. highway’s next off-ram
My good. buddy Doug | Collins -
ot me.musing on this problem
with his column the other Sunday :
mn ‘Switzerland’ $ version of
P .where everything is‘
:decided by: ‘referendum and the;
president, whose name nobody: »
remembers, is said to commute to =
‘work on_a.streetcar. a
| Alas, geography ji is against such: .
‘a system in‘Canada. B.C. alone
,could hold 23 Switzerlands, And.
voting every few ‘months across"
five time zones issomething quite ’-
different from the cosy together-
“ness of a tiny, compact 800-year- ‘,
‘old nation of under seven million.
No, Canada’s problem needs ::
tronger medicine.’ And the most
vital need’ is to do a away ‘with | ‘

“hither
“and yon ;

‘in theory, ‘continue to be re-elected’

~until he reaches retirement. Make Hy

‘that your, full-time career and you ;-

~ clearly have to be a saint if you:

never — ever —.weigh your per- ;
“sonal interests against those of;
‘your constituents or country;

The obvious <inswer is fixed

et for MPs and MLAs. For’
* example, elect one-third of theny

-.each year for three-year terms.”!

' Electoral ridings would be split’:
‘into three groups similar in urban-
rural balance and total voters
_each group then voting every, third
year. ue ae
MPs and MLAs could be’ Te

‘elected once for.a maximum six-

year term, after which they would
have to-wait the’ same nuinber of -
_ years before seeking election .

ferences in distant lands. Good question.

The answer is that the freedom we “e .

fe

)

With everyone serving for lim-:
ited, well-paid periods, but with no
‘chance of long-term income from |
politics, parliaments would’ benefit ©
constantly from'an ongoing mix of
fresh, enthusiastic ideas tempered . “
by the experience and judgment of

_ the three-to-six-year. veterans.

;, And as each politician’s term
ended. he or she — in the’ glow of
patriotic duty done — would.
rejoin the real world where, it's all

* column.) -

"This said, [ see , the keepers ‘of.
! conventional wisdom shaking their
heads sadly and asking if Wright
ek ‘has lain too long in the hot sun.

‘ Essential to the complex art of
“government, they assure us, are. the.
“continuity and maturity that come

“only from long. jong years on: the,
;, Job. ‘Trust us, they say, we're the oe
only ones who’ know. | * :

Were they talking of any other:

_ occupation, we might agree.’:
Almost all people get better at
their work the longer they do it.’

‘ But how many career politi-
cians of 10 or more years can YOU ©
- honestly name who've’ got better
and better at their job every year?

RUBY "ANNIVERSARY ‘ ereet-.)

"ings to Lucille and Everett Miller’, “Dear Editor

the

ty 5 like being pregnant. You
are either pregnant or not, you
can ‘t be somewhere in between."
| West: Kings Road resident Larry
: Crosby. on the need to make a’:
-decision on the controversial -
Montroyal Connector: in North.
Vancouver District. (From a June ©
: 28 North Shore New Ry

are “Especially ‘the brain bucket
< itself is imperative.: ‘You only: get"
“one go. reund with that one.”
- Steve’ Corcoran, the, manager of: -

“the.value of bicyclists wearing ‘pro.
“tective helmets when’ “ding a bicy-

i

Ve

take so much for. ‘granted — the freedom to ’
express opinion, whether it be right or wrong ‘
—--is constantly under attack from Those
Who Know Better. : .
The socialists. in Victoria, through their.
reckless‘actions in ramming Bill-33 and other:

» free-speech-limiting legislation. through. the.
, house, have established themselves as world-..

class members of the Those Who Know ‘Better
fraternity. But they are not alone.) 002. °
Crist was himself the target of council cen-
sure for raising issues: he. believed .to be
important to the public. ° Nobody. said ‘they’
were required to agree with’ Mr. Crist, but

‘everybody should ke allowed to hear what he
‘has to say and judge for himself. It’sa princi-*

District residents might. ask why their “ple that Those’ Who Know Better, just. never

get. Free speech is an all or nothing. propos

_ tion: you either have it or you don’t.

~ We still have it. Let’ s keep it that’ way,

“Td rather be called guilty at
the beginning (of such matters)
than guilty at the end.”

West Vancouver District Coun.

- Andy Danyliu, on raising questions : ;
, about political promises and other
fictions of public life: (From Trevor
Lautens* June 30 Garden ” of Bias

“It you re not concerned
you're "losing control”... “

North Vancouver architect Fred
Thornton Hollingsworth, on being.
concerned about some high-profile
“ -Cotitemporaries' visiting his art:
“exhibition at the West. ‘Vancouver
: te Ferry Building. (From‘a June21
North ‘Shore News Inside ‘story. a)

::MLA does a ‘tremendous disser:

. vice to their, constituents.”

: 2 West: Vancouver, Garibaldi :
Independent. MLA David Mitch lI:
criticizing West Vancouver: i..."

“Capilano Liberal MLA Jeremy.

“ Dalton for:leaving the legisiatu

_;when the vote was called’on the’

NDP. government’ $ controversial

Access to Abortion Services’ Act’

(F From a “hine: 30 North Shore, New

i

again. The majority, caucus would ©,

elect or re-elect its prime minister

_ of Pat's Restaurant in West Van ‘*
“ who today, July 2, are celebrating ©
their 40th. 2°

"WRIGHT OR WRONG: 9 What

pity no statues are ever erected to ‘

Re: Doug: Collins ‘June . 21 on
Swiss prices, .. :
3 How about - this. one’ in. Venice.
last 3 month? Two,: “small” orange}...
drinks and one ‘small’ lettuce “and:

“lira,: abou

tomato “roll, 18, 900
“ $16,502": i

‘CAREER politicians.’ : ae
7 Complain brought th answer :

eats or premier and cabinet members
“AS: it is, any. MP or MLA can, ‘

‘people smart enough to let well’
- annually. Meas us

“alone.

: Peter Kvarnstrom
» Display ‘Manager.
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“Linda Stewart 0s) °
Sales & Marketing Oirector
980-0511 (34 9).

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980-0511...

Chris Johason 7
: Operations Manager

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