6 - North Shore News — Sunday, February 13, 2000 Gag fre IP the duct tape off your mouths, you can say what you sink now. The next provincial election will be fought without the NDP’s odious gag law muzzling citi- zens who have something to say about those running for office. The B.C, Supreme Court ruled this week that amendments to the Election Act passed in 1995 by the incumbent NDP were unconstitutional. You'll remember that they restricted the media’s ability to report the result of opinion polls and restricted third-party spending during elections to no more than $5,000 — a pittance given the cost of media advertising in today’s market. When the measures were brought in by a government desperate to hold on to power at any price, the North Shore News was the first paper VIEW POIN running a series of advertisements depiciing citizens gagged by duct tape. Accountant Garry Nixon was subse- quently fined $13,000 for Guying anti- Glen Ciark ads worth $6,330 during the 1996 run-up to the election and he and Pacific Press then chose to chal- lenge the act in court. Justice Donald Brenner determined that there was no evidence to support the allegation that poll reporting or third-party spending influences the election process and he rightly ordered the government to pay all the court costs. The quaking emanating from the strategy office of the provincial New Democratic Party is heading past 10 on the Richter scale as the disgraced party’s spin doctors wonder who wil! line up for their say in the public domain during the next election. atonal Times GAOMS'- Ont Bt ree PRESS pale we. CASA ecartnwn Com i to lead the charge against Big Brother, YOu saicl it . _ -*We have to live in our condo, the assessor does not. Bach day 1 get up, J look at the walls, the doors, the toilets, sinks. I continually wonder, ‘Where is the _ GST?" ”. - _. West Vancouver’s Bill Wedley, on thc decision to chal- lenge in court (successfully) the inclusion of the Goods and -» Service Tax (GST) in the assessed value of his Deer Ridge - condominium. (From a Feb. 9 News story.) ae 909 “Pm not against Iranian fire-dancing, but we all have.to comply with the cules. -I can’t do what you're asking me to do. I can’t take my family to the beach’ and light a fire on the beach. I will be had up.” West Vancouver District-Coun. Victor Durman says no fires are allowed on Ambleside Beach — even for Iranian ¢ (New Year. (From a-Feb. 13 News stary.) .. : ogGaQ :, “We're not a news story..We’re a person story. I’m more interested in the fact that (home improvement = expert)..Shell Busey raised $40,090 for the CKNW '. Orphans ‘Fund through the sale of his book.” : Rogers TV talk-show host David Ingram says the peo- ‘ ple who make‘a difference in the community are far more interesting to him than scandal. (From a Feb. 11 News This “Week story.) : ~ . Te eb s, G00 . : aX giready have a large clientele who aren’t partyers, <. whe don’t slam their car doors, who don’t screech their tires.. This is not some young crowd ready to rebel.” -,. Sculptor Richard Philip Marmion speaking in support of 2a proposed Deep Cove cultural cafe that is opposed by “some neighbours for.fear of increased noise and traffic. ‘(Fron a Feb.:11 News story.) : fig SEE My Q00Q “2 “I think there’s a mindset in West Vancouver. I think the car, the vehicle, represents something to the people there. So :somchow they cannot divorce themselves ‘from: the car‘as a means of transportation.” y. North Vancouver City councillor Barbara Perrault sug- gesting that any Burrard Inlet tunnel could be for rapid rail transit rather than for cars. (From a Feb. 9 News story.) north shore\ _ North Shore News, fcunded in 2969 xs an independent subuiban newspaper and quahed uniter Schedule 111, Paragraph 1°? af the __” Eweise Tax Act is published each Wednestlay, Friday and Sunday by HCN Publications Company and distrithtet to every doce on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Puiicavons _, Mad Sates Product Agreement No. 0067238. Mating rates available on request. Barbara Emo Distribution Manage: 986-1337 (124) bemo@nsnews.com G1 S82 (average crcutahion, Wednesday, Fentay & Suny) _among Mask Fancher Creative Servines Director 985-2131 (827) fitancherénsnews.com rime NEXT Sunday evening — short of being hit by a lightning boit — Ujjal Dosanjh will be our new NDP premier. Just what will that mean for this bat- tered, limping, debt-laden province? Up to one year more of what B.C. has suf- fered for the past nine — that’s what — until this economy-wrecking crew of arrogant, unpriacipled incompe- tents is finally forced (by the spring of 2001 at the latest) to face the voters. Don’t kid yourself gentlemanly Ujjal can make any real difference, heading a pack thar still contains Glen Clark, Gordon Wilson, Moe Sihota, Harry Lali and their toadics. Hang in there they would, as Dosanjh vainly struggled to give them a gentler, abler and more responsible face. So a year from now you could expect a further billion or two added to the $30 billion-plus provincial debt. You could look for unemployment, especially among the young, still to be Canada’s highest. You could still be watching tax-weary, over-regulated businesses and talent head- ing for Alberta and below the border to enjoy bigger returns and a better stan- ‘dard of living. In Britain, Tony Blair and his modern- thinking colleagues dealt with a very simi- lar problem in the ideologically arthritic British Labour Party by inventing “Third Way” socialism, which swept Labour back Oee Dhaliwal HA/Promotions Manager $85-2131 (218) adhaliwalensnews.com PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) pspeck@nsnews.com Terry Photography Manager 995-2131 (160) ipelers@nsnews.com for ND Doug Feot Seneral Manager 985-2131 (133) dloot@nsnews.com 2 Stepheason Classified Manager 986-6222 (202) vslephensonénsnews.com : . Eniite contents & 1999 HCN Publications Company. alt fights reserved. . . orth Shore News is published by HEN Publications Company, Publisher Petar Speck, from 1139 Lonsdale Avenue Narth Vaneouver, B.c., v7M 2Hg- to power after many years of Tory rute. Today the same challenge faces Ujjal Dosanjh. And, like Blair, he can only meet it during a period in opposition — the sooner the better for all concerned. That’s why the message to him next weekend trom all true B.C.-lovers must be: “Call the elec- tion NOW — then, as opposition party leader, start working right away on rebuilding that vital element in all democra- cies, an acceptable gov- ernment-in-waiting.” The present mob doesn’t qualify even as a government-in-waiting. With its dis- aster-laden baggage of permanent budget deficits, the fast ferries and forest renewal fiascos, the bingogate and casinogate scandals, the railroaded Nisga’a Treaty sell-out, the provincial economy dragged down from tup to 10th place in Canada, the NDP’s chances of winning the next election are zero-minus. So why prolong the agony for every- one —- including its new leader himself — a day longer than necessary? HENCE DAVID VS. GOLIATH, Act II, by the North Van-based B.C. Chapter of the Coalition for Accountability in Government Expenditures (CAGE). These, you may recall, are the folks who carlier this year organized a phone-in referendum of British Columbians on the Nisga’a Treaty — producing, from over 3,000 respon- dents, a 99% NO vote to the treaty in its present form. Now, CAGE is calling on British Columbians to join one of nwo one-hour P te quit LY My lunchtime rallies starting at-12 noun this coming Thursday, Feb.17 — just days . before the NDP leadership vote — at Robson Square in Vancouver and at the.” Parliament Buildings in Victoria; |... The theme (your own banners or plac-'.. ° ards welcome): “RESIGN NOW ... NO... MORE NDP ... WE CAN'T AFFORD 7 THEM ... WE WANT THEM OUT.” ..: Mounting mass demonstrations like this takes not only a lot of effort but a fot.” of money, which CAGE. doesn’t have Liz James, CAGE’s indefatigable. North Van chairman, has been working the radio talk shows. All B.C.’s major media have the stery. tu'use if they. choose. The e-mail circuit is a-buzz. “- So if you want an immediate change of government badly enough to stuff. your junch sandwiches in your pocke and nitble them with your fellow noon hour demonstrators Thursday in Vancouver or Victoria, God hfess you You'll be a key part of what democra cy is ultimately all about. Joa: MANY HAPPY returns of today, Feb,i3, to North Van’s Joan Henderson ... More of the same tomorrow, Fe! to West Van Kiwanian Terry Hi Happy birthday Tuesday, Feb. 1 West Van's Frank Cragg And ditt that same day to West Van Councillor Ken Haycock.. ” aa. 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