baw Does someone keep changing the rules? Friday, June 14, 1991 - North Shore News - 9 EXCUSE ME, did some- thing happen while I was in the washroom? What did I miss? Pauli St, Pierre PAULITICS & PERSPECTIVES Something has happened that other people scem to understand but I don’t. The accidents on Highway 401 at Langley, for instance. The newspapers said an independent test was made of the new highway surface, where a hundred or so cars went out of control, and the tests proved that nothing was wrong with the road surface. It suspected that Pious Willie might be seen to come up short of a full load of ethics, a view later sup- ported by the investigating com- missioner, So far, so clear. But Mr. Couvelier said a funny thing on his way out the door. He said there are times when questions of principle must over-ride con- siderations of party loyalties. We voters had been taught to believe that matters of principle were always more imporant thun matters of party advantage or disadvantage. Considerations of party fortunes might warp a poli- tician’s principles, but they were never expected to extinguish them. It’s like President Bush an- nouncing that he would not in- terfere with the course of justice in the case of his son, who was charged with crooked dealings. When did it become necessary for an American president to hold a press conference to announce that he planned to refrain from perverting his nation’s justice system? Something must have happened while | was washing my hands. There's another puzzlement over in the Maritimes, where the premiers of the four Atlantic pro- vinces are meeting. They are determined to retain the political boundaries of the province so their uniqueness muy &4& Considerations of party fortunes might warp a politician’s principles, but they were never expected to extinguish them. 99 just happened that all the freeway accidents came in the same place for a few days. However, the details of the Great Highway Test story didn’t quite seem to match the headlines. Readers were told that indepen- dent tests found the new road sealant had not increased the dangers of accident. On the other hand, test figures quoted showed that stopping times increased by almost 20% when the new surface was wet. Isn’t there some discrepancy? The same stories also offer disturbing details of how this in- dependent scientific test was car- ried out. The cars used had com- puter-controlled braking systems, something they shared with 2% of the other vehicles on the highway but not with the remaining 98%. Also, the cars were driven at 100 km/h for the test. While 100 is the speed limit, it is not the speed at which traffic moves. On this section of 401, most cars travel between 110 and 120. Regrettable perhups, illegal cer- tainly, but truce. More provably true than tie claim that the reason a brand new, expensive road sur- face is going to be built is not that it’s needed, it’s just being done because people are so damned un- reasonable. But, then, perhaps something was said while | was away from the table which would have ex- plained everything in reasonable terms. Somebody has also been talking behind my back, or maybe it’s over my head, about the duties of our elected representatives. Mel Couvelier did it to me on the first of his two resignations from the B.C. Cabinet. The first resignation concerned Premier Vander Zalm, who was then under investigation. Mr. Couvelier quit because he be preserved. It is too unkind to ask people here how many can distinguish a New Brunswicker from a Nova Scotian, so we'll let that question pass. What the premiers are solemnly determined to do, however, is remove trade barriers among their provinces, They report progress on this noble venture. Provincial free trade is on its way to the Maritimes. How's that again? Wasn't interprovincial free trade established 124 years ago at Confederation? Have 1] been out of the room that long? Come to think of it, what about Confederation's other goals? Besides removing trade barriers, a major purpose was to create a naticnai rail system. Have you tried crossing Canada by train lately? Another reason for Confedera- tion was establishment of a good postal system. How’s that working for you? There was to be a common immigration and customs policy. Somehow, the province of Quebec now has its own immigration policies in effect and British Col- umbia is considering tacking its sales tax atop the Customs duties at the American border. We had other goals for the fed- eration. A national airline was to be created to parallel the national rail system, The losses are keeping pace With one another fairly well, but it wasn’t losses we had in mind, was it? Another voal was a strong, healthy, vibrant national radio and television system, called the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. With CBC, as with so much that goes on, somebody keeps shifting goal posts while the rest of us have our eves on the ball. It's getting very difficult to keep score, SEATED TAMKO 20 - 35 YR FIBERGLASS SHINGLES. LL TOLL-FREE 1-800-663-ROOF : vANY- TIMED NEWS photo Stuart Davis BILL EKINS was among 50 volunteers who recently spent a weekend collecting garbage ac- cumulated along Indian Arm. The event was organized by Cindy Matson and included 80 divers pulling debris out of the water. A grant from Shell Oil covered expenses for the rental of a barge to take the junk to a recycling depot. 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