2 ~ Sunday, March 14, 1993 — North Shore News Coun., mayor lock horns over ‘false’ minutes Crist raises uproar with falsification allegations AN ALLEGATION that North Vancouver District Council minutes were ‘‘false’’ raised an uproar at Monday night’s council that forced Mayor Murray Dykeman to call a short recess to defuse the situation. - Coun. Ernie Crist’s charge that the Feb. 22 minutes did not reflect what he had said quickly escalated into.a procedural shouting match between Crist and Dykeman. The rules of debate, a grey area of interpretation at many district meetings, degenerated to the point that’ municipal manager Mel Palmer was reproving Crist for in- terruptions, while Councillors Paul Turner and Rick Buchols were deliberately turning their backs to the council table. At issue was Crist’s contention that’ his questions expressing con- cern about the number of Dykeman’s GVYRD (Greater Van- couver Regional District) commit- _ tee seats had been misrepresented. “When .you change the meaning of what was actually said, you are, in fact, falsifying the. records and when you do that you are not only, violating the’ democratic in- -stitutions you are in fact showing contempt for the clectorate,’’ said - Crist. ; District. director of .. legislative services Colleen Rohde iook re- sponsibility for. the minutes but said they: were intended to reflect By choosing the bulldozing, confrontational approach to closing Shaughnessy Hospital, the government has introduced British Columbians to its By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer council decisions, not record debate. And Rohde reminded council that it was not unusual to pass minutes subject to corrective amendments. Rohde later told the News that Crist’s Feb. 22 questions were made during a portion of the agenda that is meant for council members to report on business conducted as official council rep- resentatives and that the matter . should more properly have been dealt with under any other business. “It's a grey area that is really difficult. You can be criticized ei- ther way for leaving it in (the minutes) or taking it out,’ said Rohde. : “If the minutes were to be crit- icized they could be criticized for putting in anything at all,’’ she concluded. . Both Palmer and Dykeman reacted angrily to Crist’s use of the word “‘falsify”’ but differed in tory cord NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL a fa" ii NORTH VAN District Coun. Er- nie Crist their approach to dealing with the allegation. . Palmer asked Crist to specify exactly what was ‘‘false’’ so that staff could answer the charge. But Dykeman refused to let Crist repeat his two-week-old allegations and suggested a generic referral to the clerk for comment. Dykeman’s suggestion was adopted by council after a short recess. . GVBD APPOINTMENTS SPARK DEBATE: - EXCERPTS from the Feb. 22, 1993, North Vancouver District Council meeting exchange be- tween North Vancouver District Coun. Ernie Crist and North Yancouver District Mayor Murray Dykeman over the mayor’s Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) committee appointments: Coun. Ernie Crist: ‘‘Mayor Dykeman, 1 have a question for you — I was reading the North Shore News and also a memorandum from the GVRD (Greater Vancouver Regional District) on the board and committee appointments for 1993, and ! notice that all North Shore municipalities have appointed several of their council: members to various conimittees... Mayor Murray Dykeman: “Coun. Crist, if you could...."’ Crist: ‘‘... particularly in the District of North Vancouver case, however ...”’ Dykeman: ‘Can I just cor- rect one statement....”” Crist: ** ... E notice that you have been, that you have been appointing yourself to....”’ Dykemar: ‘‘Carry on.”’ Crist: ‘*...to all four com- miuces....” “ay Consult. b) Bulldoze- New Directions for a Healthy British Columbia. Health Minister Elizabeth Cull’s expensive, taxpayer-financed advertising campaign, which has cost the hard-pressed health budget over $1,000,000, neglects to mention that “New Directions” will mean longer waits for surgery, longer waits for Emergency, and heavier taxes for local property owners. All this, inflicted with an uncommon zeal to change a health care system hailed by the Royal Commission on Health Care and Costs as “probably the best in the world? Dykeman: ‘‘Thank you." Crist: “ ... with the excep- tion of Coun. Buchols. My question to you is, are you at least prepared to discuss this with your council with the view of changing this policy, because I think it is totally unacceptable and undemocratic?” Dykeman: ‘‘Thank you, Coun. Crist, 1 will discuss it with you at any time as I al- ready have, and if there are questions about procedure that - (GVRD) chairman (Gordon) Campbell uses for the ap- pointments to comnuittees of the GVRD, I will be glad to get his opinion on any. such sub-. jects..." ° Coun. Joan. Gadsby: ‘‘Just on the point that Coun. Crist.: mentioned, Mr. Mayor.< I'm: prepared to make a motion which would have this ‘whole council look-at the methods: for: appointments to the(GVRD.) The printed, minutes. from the Feb. 22, 1993, meeting’ summarized the debate. as: “Councillor Crist commented on the process for appoint- ments to the GYRD Board and Committees."’ $13,000,000 of public money has-been invested in recent years to keep Shaughnessy up to date. How can a centre of excellence that treats the largest. , number of diabetic patients, spinal cord injuries and corneal transplants be deemed redundant? ; ; As a teaching hospital, Shaughnessy has helped to train the next generation of doctors, nurses and medical technicians. Don't be misled by the great volume of expensive NDP propaganda, Don’t be bulldozed. For more information, call The Friends of Shaughnessy, 732-650+. From the dociors, nurses and other health care workers committed to the patients of Shaughnessy Hospital.