4 ~ Wednesday, May 12, 1993 - North Shore News Women’s words STRICTLY PERSONAL TWO OF my favorite fe- male Canadian journalists, regardless of their some- what different politics, are Donna Laframboise and Diane Francis, Ms. Laframboise is a freelancer who writes a colimn once a week for the Toronto Star, a sometimes leftish publication, while Ms. Francis is an editor at the Toronto Stn, generally described as a right-wing tabloid, despite the in- clusion of Alan Fotheringham in its stable of pontificators. Ms. Francis recently came up with a column arguing that . Canada should be ‘‘downsized.”" Quite literally. She states that there is “abso- lutely no justification for four ‘separate provinces in Atlantic Canada. They should merge into one province with its capital in Halifax. Likewise, Saskatchewan and Manitoba should merge with Alberta, along with the Yukon and Northwest Territories.’' The effect of this would be to climinate an enormous wad to debt load being carricd by the taxpayers of B.C., Alberta and Ontario, who, she says, ‘‘are pay- ing Sweden-like income tax rates to help support surplus govern- ments.” per 44,000 residents In Atlantic Canada, it averages out, through all the duplication, to one politician per 12,000 folk. Unfair, eh? A less original thought, perhaps, but very interesting com- ing from an independent-thinking woman writer, was Donna Laframboise’s recent column at- tacking feminism’'s anti-por- nography campaign as being a “false bill of goads.”” The anti-porn crusade, she writes, “has suggested that por- nography is an important equality issue when it is nothing of the kind. “Feminism’s critique ... that ‘pornography is the theory and rape is the practise’ ... was based on seriously flawed reasoning. “Tt overlooked the fact Urat while explicit pornography has on- ly been widely available for a few decades, violence against women is as old as human history. “Also ignored is the fact that violence against women remains ARRIFRUCDNape portable stereo 4" speakers, 32- track program: ming. 14-529 . Personal cassette «Portable tape player with Doiby NR, bass-boost, auto-reverse, 14-1083 +30 1929 of wisdom prevalent in countries where por- nography has always been strictly prohibited — as in the Middle East, for example."" The feminist party line on porn has, Ms, Laframboise acknowl- edges, unfortunately swept the woman's movement into bed with the fundamentalists who associate sex with guilt and shame. Seeing supposedly liberated educated women siding with the anti-sex religious zealots over the issue of pornography and freedom of expression has always been a troubling spectacle for us male sympathizers. “Since pornography first became an issue in the women’s movement,’ Ms, Laframboise finishes, “many feminists have questioned the wisdom of devoting so much energy to such a questionable crusade. It’s time we started tucning up the volume on these concerns." Right on, sister! GERREERFRC EPEC! 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Catculator has 3-key memory. 63-8212 gave $7 dialing. 43- 916 a ESS Trim phone In simond cotewr Stores up to 20 numbers in Gosdiess ‘with noise reduction, memory Sound Commander™ noise reduc- tion, one-way page, 10-number memory. 43- There is an echo here, of course, of the old Bill Bennett vi- sion of a Canada based on five regions, instead of 10 provinces. Snorty wristwatch Water-resistant up to 30 metres. Built-in calendar Although she doesn't use the phrase, what the brainy Ms. Francis is saying is that, outside of the three flush provinces, every other part of the country is an economic black hole. The equalization payment fig- ures for 1992-1993 are estimated to amount to $953 million to Newfoundland, $202 million to P.E.L, St billion to Nova Scotia, $928 million to New Brunswick, $977 million to Manitoba, $565 million to Saskatchewan. Even while continuing to carry the world’s largest military machine on their backs, American taxpayers could afford a medicare system like ours and still pay less than we do, Ms. Francis contends. So where does all that extra money disappear? It disappears into the limou- sines, the drivers, the protocol of- ficers, the extravagant expense ac- counts, the salaries of the enor- mous support staffs that surround premiers, the governor-general, lieutenani-governors, cabinet ministers and prime ministers: vast entourages whose duty it is to spew out reams of press releases, reports, research documents, studies and departmental pro- paganda. 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