“THE” FEDERAL - govern.

“ment:plans' to appeal a re-
“cent Alberta court decision
that. quashed a federal law
limiting: individuals
$1,000 . spending «contribu-
ons in support ‘of a polit-
- ical . candidate,..or. party
during - a federal. election
campaign.
’ By Anna Marie D’ Angelo’
* News Reporter
A spokesman for the National
Citizens’ Coalition. (NCC), the
-organization that successfully
challenged ‘the so-called federal
‘gag law, said the government
wants the limit in place for this
year’s federal election. -
-“The original judgement. was
: such an overwhelming defeat for
them. There. was’ such an out-

“standing lack of evidence on the «

government’s. part,’’ said NCC
president David Somerville.

“IT do not believe that they
think that they. can win an ap-
. peal. 1 think they are doing it
because. ‘they want to try any
measure to gag citizens during
the next election,” said Somer-
« Ville. .

Capilano-Howe Sound Tory.
MP .Mary Collins, the federal
-health minister, was unavailable
for comment.

Edmonton Southwest Tory
MP Jim Edwards, responsible
for the late Chuck Cook’s North
Vancouver. riding, was also
“unavailable for comment.

- The spending limit. was_ in-
cluded in reform amendments to

to

Wednesday, August 4, 1993 — North Shore News -

poised to be party p

Maverick MLA hopeful he has a place in Liberal caucus after leadership vote

i They want to try
any measure to gag
citizens during the

next election. 99 '

— NCC president
David Scmervitie

. 1
the Canada Elections Act. The
contentious. law limits third-
party spending. But individuals
can spend unlimited money on
issues such as free trade or
unemployment. :

Collins told the News in an
earlier interview that the NCC
had misunderstood the Purpose
of the gag law.

She said candidates had limits
on spending, but friends! of can-
didates had unlimited spending
limits under the previous rules.

She said candidates could
potentially use friends. to get
around spending limit laws.

Somerville said NCC learned
July 15 that a federal lawyer
wanted an appeal to begin in
September. i

He said the government was
attempting to have the June 25
ruling stayed so the contentious
law would apply during the ap-
peal process.

The appea! will be heard i in the
Alberta Court of Appeal, the
last legal stop in the province
before the . Supreme Court of
Canada.

Somerville said the NCC has
spent $150,000 so. far to

_. Speech as guaranteed in
- Charter of Rights.

THE WEEKEND Liberal party convention made it abun-
dantly clear that Gordon Wilson is slated to become the
party’s former leader, said West Vancouver-Garibaldi In-
dependent Libera! MLA David Mitchell.

Mitchell left the. Liberal caucus
to sit'as an independent last year
after a dispute with Wilson.

“*t could bring to the party right
now what would be the opportu-
nity for the new leader to show he
was a peacemaker and a team
builder,’’ said Mitchell.

-He describes the current leader
as a stubborn man.

Mitchell said he is hopeful that
he has a place in the Liberal
caucus after the September lead-
ership vote.

Mitchell noted that members of
the ‘present Liberal ‘caucus asked

_ him to come on-the stage when

the caucus was being introduced at

“the convention.

He said Vancouver Mayor Gor-
don Campbell is in the lead for
Liberal party leader, former North
Shore resident and MLA Gordon
Gibson is second and Wilson is
running third for the job in a
seven-candidate race.

*T think his worship, the mayor
of Vancouver, is in a very strong
position. What isn’t known is if
Campbell can take it on the first
ballot,’’ said Mitchell. ;

Mitchell said: some. convention

’ goers at Vancouver’s Hyatt Hotel
were surprised that he thanked

Wilson for his work as leader.

He said some MLAs, . notably
Langley’s Gary Farrell-Collins,
attacked ‘Wilson’s conduct as

challenge the law. The NCC’s

‘main argument ‘is that the gag

law infringes upon freedom of
the

Somerville said the govern-
ment is abusing its power to sti-
fle dissent. He said the govern-

“ment wants politicians and po-

litical parties to contro! the
agenda at election times, shutting
out the average citizen. .

“It reveals Kim Campbell as a
big-time hypocrite. She was the
one running around the country
preaching about the politics of
inclusion, and here she is prac-
tising the politics of exclusion,’’
said Somerville.

He said the argument that
elections can be bought is ridi-
culous. The NCC has used the
Charlottetown Accord’s Yes
campaign as an example of how
campaigns can’t be bought.

He disputed the argument that
election expense restrictions ap-
ply to candidates and political
parties so individuals should also
have limits.

“Political parties can only
spend $27 million each,’ - he
said.

A five-year jail term and a

$5,000 fine are the maximum
penalties for breaking’ the
spending limit. :
' “This law threatens citizens
with jail terms for the peaceful
expression of their political
views,’’. said Somerville.

“This is a law that should be
in place in Iran or the old Soviet
Union or some third- world dic-
tatorship,”’ he said.

The NCC is a non-profit ad-

‘vocacy group in favor of less

government.

By Anna Marie D’Angeio
News Reporter

leader.

But North Vancouver-Seyinour
Liberal MLA Daniel Jarvis, the
caucus head,. said Farrell-Collins

was defending: himself after

Wilson was told he ‘couldn't
‘trash individuals’? in a ‘speech
during’ the leader accountability
session.

Wilson had
backstabber
speech.

Said Jarvis, “Wilson was criti-
cized for the way he ran his
caucus, not his sexual relation-
ship.”

(sq
the

referred to

in caucus” ‘in

Re added, “‘I have not disclosed -:

who I will support as leader, but it
is not Gordon Wilson.”

Wilson’s handling of his rela-
tionship with fellow MLA ‘Judi
Tyabji is credited as causing. his
downfall in politics.

Mitchell said the convention
ended with party members divided
because of the leadership race and
the intense feelings involved. ;

But Jarvis said there was a pos-
itive attitude after the convention
because the Liberals are confident
they will win .the next provincial
election.

Meanwhile North Shore resident
Jenny Kaderali lost her bid to.

aker

become Liberal party president on
Sunday by a narrow margin.

“Since I did so weil,: it really
isn’t a loss. Quite frankly, nobody
expected that § would get such an
overwhelming show of support,’
said Kaderali, 41.

The North Vancouver-Lonsdale
Liberal riding president lost to’
party veteran Reni Masi- by 49
votes.

In addition to electing the par-
ty’s executive, those attending the
Liberal convention voted to count:
universal ballots as.a‘ group in-
stead of dividing the votes into
ridings. :

‘Mitchell said all . convention
goers, numbering more than .800,

- favored universal ballots .to elect.a,.

new leader, but at issue. was the
way the votes would be tallied.

A universal ballot is considered
beneficial to Campbell’s prospects
for leader because most. of the.
party’s ‘14,500 members reside ‘in
the Lower. .Mainland,- an area‘
where Campbell is favored. .

Mitchell said. the Libera] party
convention was the. first he had
ever attended that seemed like-a -
real political. convention and not a
“sorry affair.”’ ,

“Who would have thought that’ .
800 crazy .Liberais.. would. closet.
themselves in-a hotel on.a° ‘sunny °
long. weekend in. August.“ and.
discuss constitutional:” amend-
ments. Boy, we've got to be sick,”’ ”
said Mitchell. .

The party’s s. leadership elections :
are scheduled to take place :.on
Sept. Me :

New user-pay. system.

expected at N.
"| dump site next month

THE, USER-PAY . ‘concept

will be’ implemented at. the .

North Shore Transfer Sta-
tion’ by September if. all
three local municipalities
agree to proposed changes.”
North Shore residents will soon
have to pay the GVRD rate of $69
per ton of refuse, with aiminimum
$2 charge per load, at the transfer
station, said Coun. Don Griffiths
at the July 26 meeting of West
Vancouver District Council.

Up to 440 pounds (200 kg) of °

clean green compostable material
will still be accepted free of charge
at the transfer station.

Griffiths said ‘the changes are
reasonable considering some. of
the newer options for dealing with
household waste now offered by
the municipality:
® a spring and fall clean-up pro-
gram;

@a backyard composter purchase
assistance program;

@ the blue box recycling system;

® the planned addition of a cen-
tral. West Vancouver drop-off
depot for an expanded range of
recyclables.

@ Budget Beaters
83 Busincss

& Crossword
Cuisine Scene

Shore.

"WEST VANCOUVER
DISTRICT COUNCIL”

by Maureen Curtis

At present, residents are allowed :

to drop off up-to 1,100 pounds |.’

. (500 ke) of refuse at the transfer
Station, as many times a ‘day as
necessary, for free. .
But said ~ West Vancouver
director of operations Barry .
Lambert, ‘‘A lot of .contractors °
have taken advantage of this, and
that was not the intention.” .
In May, the results of a four-.
day survey revealed that 42 of
those claiming to be North Shore

residents actualiy live south of the, -

Second Narrows Bridge.

At least five percent of the users |
delivered refuse to the transfer :
station from four to seven times. a:
day. ‘
The new $69 charge is the same
as that charged to the district by
the transfer station. - |

Currently, .resident refuse
drop-offs at the transfer station
cost West
$110,000 a year.

Editorial Page
News of the Weird. ....
fi North Shore Now .

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Thursday, sunny, high 25°C, low 14°C.

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