6 — Wednesday, May 13, 1998 ~ North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT One way HE North Vancouver amalga- mation train has again been shunted on to a political siding ” — the victim again of a bureaucratic turf war. Too bad. Amalgamation’s benefits could be mauy for both North Vancouver District and North Vancouver City. The trouble is, unless there devel- ops some real political will to put the train back on the track, both munici- palities will never reap those benefits. North Vancouver has been whole a scant seven years during this century. But discussion about its reunification has continued ever since the 1907 breakup. Why? Because common sense dictates that one municipal hall, one municipal bureaucracy and one municipal council would do a more efficient job of running North Taxes in both the city and district continue to rise — 2.4% this year in the city; 3% in the district. The shared services that have been discussed in the district underscore the reality that there are savings to be reaped from amalgamated services. The trouble is that North Vancouver’s shared services answer to two masters. That never works. The service bureaucracy plays one master off against the other and ends up being a master unto itself. If there are economies to be had from running one unified service instead of two, then there are economies to be made from running one North Vancouver instead of two. It’s not rocket science; it’s common sense. Let’s combine it with some political vision and build one great North Vancouver. | HAVE ALWAYS SAID WE WILL PAY BACK EVERY CENT To THE CHARITIES 1. AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED. ved WILL KEEP SAYING WE WILL PAY BACK EVERY CENT SSS ARRK CINMS NDP CTIM OF Nettie SS MONRO Vancouver than two. Deer eerieatentedaere testy : - Sharing some doubts about female Scouts ». Dear Editor: “. oS T have been musing for some days on your article that lauded the girls who won the Scouts boxcar design competi- tion and described the recent addition of females to the pre- vioudy all-male scouting movement. ~ I found disturbing the attitude of the female leader of the Beaver troupe, who appreciates having girls in Beavers because they act asa civikzing influence and make the boys act more like girls. While I appreciate her willingness co volunteer as leader, to my.mind this is hardly the purpose of Scouting. As the mother of three boys under five, I well know the sometimes manic energy and noise that can try the patience of ~ a saint. But Tam also learaing, both through observation and - Feading, about the uniquely male qualities that should be cel- ebrated ar3 encouraged. : In utero, development of boys’ and girls’ brains is very dif- ferent: Boys s.td up with a more complex right brain than do ‘. .pirlss but with a weaker “bridge” connecting the two brain :» _ hemispherés. One result is that boys are often better at right- brain, spatial tasks and use very focused bursts of energy, while mailbox o> girls tend to be inherently better at multi-tasking and putiing .. More parts of their brain ’to work on any one problem. Neither approach is wrong or right. ~ We have stopped trying to force left-handed children to ~ write with their nght hand. When will we allow little boys to be little boys without censure? The same-testosterone that we disdainfully point to as the cause of aggression provides our . “men with the ability and the desire to protect us from danger. *: Obviously, such energy must be channeled with wise guid- ance and a firm hand in order that lads learn to use it for good, '_ mot bad. A. supportive, all-male scouting movement has helped play that role for decades. I am not nearly as interest- ed ina female-led Beaver group that’s just as happy to turn my sons into daughters. P ‘Trendeli-Jenscn North Vancouver Worth Shore tews, founded in 1969 a5 an Independent suburban newspaper and qualtfied under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday ty North Shore Free Press Ud. and distributed to every door on the North, Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail i ) 905-2139 (127) 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) is published by North Share Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter ener al THIS could be — thanks to Jean © Chretien — the best year yet for opposition leader Preston Manning’s federal Reform Party. That is, if they do their homework diligently. In last week's Commons debate on hepatitis C compensation the prime minister forced up to a couple of dozen of his Liberal cau- cus to vote against their consciences in support of a government “package” chat denies help to thou- sands of other innocent victims of the 1980s tainted blood scandal. By contrast, Reform emerged as the party of compassion, demanding much more generous help. The Chretien-ites — declared Independent (former Liberal) MP John Nunziata — were exposed as a “Soviet-style, Havana-style democracy” treating their backbench MPs as mere obedient puppets. So it’s interesting that Preston chose that same week to unveil Reform’s New Canada Act “... to modernis: our gov- ernment for the 21st century,” which could be introduced this fall by a privare member’s bill. It seeks to restore the supremacy of Parliament based on the independence and integrity of individual MPs ——- long a motherhood issue for Reform. Three key proposals are: 1. An elected Senate with equal repre- sentation from all provinces; 2. A Commons judicial review committee to PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) 905-2131 (160) Stopheasen Classified Manager 906-0222 (202) Entire contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Lid. All rights reserved. review Supreme Court decisions and screen prime ministerial appointments to the Court; 3. Free Commons votes on all measures — with MPs no longer subject to party discipline imposed by the Pame Minister’s Office, as in last week's hepatitis C debare. The first ewo require litle comment. The reformed Senate wauld benefit provinces by providing a genuinely democratic counter- weight to the domina- tion of the Commons by Ontario and Quebec. And recently, several controversial Supreme Court decisions — notably the Delgamuukw Indian land claims ruling thar threatens to paralyze all economic development in B.C. — clearly indicate the need, where the public interest is vitally affected, for Parliament itself to be’ the “court” of final appeal. co. Free Commons votes on all measures — meaning MPs could, whenever neces- sary, put their constituents’ wishes ahead of party policy or the demands of the party leader — are an equally enticing idea, but much more complex in practice. Under our parliamentary democracy some party discipline, especially for the governing party, is essential. Otherwise, chaos can quickly descend. Free votes by the lawmakers require at least two other procedural changes. First, an end to “no confidence” votes. If the government is defeated on a measure of any kind, it should not have to resign. It should merely be sent back to the draw- ing board to try to do better next time. | Second, and arising directly fromthe. above, fixed election dates, preferably. every four years. ; Finally — though unlikely co away in Canada —- there’s avich said for the U.S. separation of pow benscen the executive (president and ca inet) and the legislature (Congress)... In a Canadian version, parties as such would be elected separately from the per: sonal election of the prime: minister,.wh would nominate a non-elected. cabinet from the country’s best talents:."\2°5.": In the Commons, as in Congress, ¢: party would have its own house : responsible for effective party pline. The difference being that. discipli would be based on consensus longer on outright bullying by pn unelected officials in the Prime Minister’: Office. ; wey Go figure, Preston::*". ° Your New Canada Act. says what a lot y ight, victims behind you, this could be the * wave you've been waiting for. Don’t miss*. it for want of a little extra homework! QOQ eee as, MANY HAPPY RETURNS of Friday,’ May 15, to Mount Scymour Lion James Innes ... And also on Friday, wish man more of the same to West Van birthday ~ b -.. fax Wardell. Q : Qg . ‘WRIGHT OR WRONG: After'30, your, body has a mind of its own .(thanks’a lot, © Bette Midler!) 9 6 Be, ” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, — 4 wires tull address & telephone number. 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