& — Wednesday, May 6, 1998 — North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT Trivial tribunal TRE NO. 1 REASON UR human rights industry is hard at work sticking it to B.C. business. The recent decision in the case of restaurant owner Gordon Robson underlines the wrong-headedness of the government’s burgeoning victim industry. It is government run amox in the name of trivial conflicts that need no government intervention at ali. Robson was ordered to pay $1,200 for what a B.C. human rights wi- bunal has deemed to be the humilia- tion. of a family that dined at Robson’s Glacier. Park Lodge in Rogers Pass in 1994, Consistent with the lodge’s policy, Rico . Micallef, his wife and three young children were initially ushered. ito the iodge’s family-oriented cafe- The policy was established to keep children from disturbing diners in the lodge’s restaurant. That policy might be offensive to families with children who behave well in restaurants. It might be an ill- advised way to run a iedge. But if it is offensive enough. to enough customers the lodge’s busi- ness will reflect that disaffection. The heavy hand of government need not be applied to a matter that is at best a job for a public relations stickhandler. The human rights industry in B.C. is growing by leaps and bounds. It currently has a two-year backlog of cases and has racked up a 20% increase this year in the cost of inves- tigation and adjudication. Dealing with such inane cases, is there any wonder why? ‘ THe NDP WANT Jo REMOVE LAND FROM THE AGRICULTURAL LAND RESERVE: teria instead of its restaurant. mailbox FRR Fe LRA FEO LAE DNS NAT Tell people where gambling funds go Dear Editor: The B.C. government is elected by the people of British : Columbia. T erefore, should the government not be arcountable to those citizens of British Columbia? \_: The NDP government has brought in provincial-wide ‘gambling to generate funds. I belong to a club that is fund- ; ed by the provincial government. < The club receives only enough moncy to cover the basic “necessities. The club offers a pisce for individuals who have ' niental handicaps. '_. The club has computers for the members to learn on, but the computers are outdated and the programs are ‘oksolere. _. 2 ‘There is no money to update the programs or the com- piiters and, as a result, the whole purpose of training those ~ swith rrental handicaps i is fruitless. ‘THis club is only one of many such facilities that are funde A by, 2:¢ government. * Where ase ail ‘these profits that the government is tak- ing from gambling actually going? . o) have talked with many people who are supposed to be on the receiving end of the cash flow, and the general con- sensus is that the: money is being diverted i into other areas of. the government. ©» As a citizen and ‘taxpayer of British Columbia, 1 should be able to cxamine the financial records that the govern- _ ment keeps in relation to gambling revenuc. Every person in this province should have the same privilege. ’ There are too many secrets kept from the general pub- lic, and we as clectors have the right to know exactly where ‘our moncy is going. If this government is not willing to release this infor- mation, then it is time for a new government. David Wilson North Vancouver If north shore NOSTALGIA addicts will be happy to learn that — all rumors to the contrary — the Social Credit Party of B.C. is alive and well, and ‘living back in its 1952 birthplace. The glad tidings reached your scribe last week in a news release from new party presi- dent Mike Culos — successor fo hapless Larry Gillanders who self-destructed during | the 1996 election. He reports on a “vibrant” April fundraising dinner in Richmond, attended by “over 100 party faithful.” Citing energetic activities of the all- new board elected fast year, Mr. Culos notes a now smoothly running acw head office in Kelowna, a start with fundraising and membership drives, and publication of party brochures. He claims an “overall >rovince- -wide interest in Socred renewal” and announces the party’s annual general meeting slated for June 4-7 in Kelowna. A workmanlike brochure entitled Towards The Year 2000 spells out part of the Socred “action plan for BC” — mostly familiar right-of-centre mother- ‘hood proposals. Amorg them: end government deficits and eventually retire the provin- cial debt; eventual removal of the provincial sales tax; repeal of the corpo- rate capital tax; in aboriginal affairs, no Noe Wright Lowen Socreds still alive and rea ty entrenchment of rights or Privileges based on race; elected regional health boards; three-year school budget fund- ing and a review of the school board system; fixed election and budget dates, fixed legislature sitting days; and cost-effective bureaucracy. Thin, the four “Principles of BC Sociai Credit”, two of which really say it all: “a 1 The individual .. hither with both spiritual and and yon physical potentials and necds, has certain inalienable rights which must be respected. “4, Whatever is physically possible and desirable and morally right should be made financially possible.” BC Social Credit’s founder, the late W.A.C. Bennett, will undoubtedly be smiling down on Mr. Culos’ stirring efforts. The only trouble being that much of his platform has already been pinched by other B.C. right-of-centre parties — from the accident-prone Liberals to the-suicidal B.C. Reformers. with their death-wish leader Wilf Hanni, and the scatless, daydreaming B.C. Tories. Combined, these anti- NDP parties . reflect 70% of the BC vote but the NDP still squeaks home. Why? Largely because Gordon Campbell is still nor wholly trusted by many non-socialist British Columbians — and by now may never be. divinely created being : tS Just SITTING THERE VEGETATING. Politics is an unforgivi ing game fer repeat fumblers. : : $o if British Columbians ever hope . __ to rid themselves of the NDP wrecking _crew in Victoria, they'll eventually have.” to find a unifying right-of- centre alter- ae native. For the moment (though it’s faint _ praise indeed!) Mike Culos looks a bet; * ter bet for che job than Reform’ s dlisas- : trous Wilf Hanni- : He can at least claim — if you omit. the Vander Zalm anticlimax +- to be |; “heir to 31 years of B.C.’s most success- ful government. His Kelowna number, © ~.- if you want to talk to him, is (250) 7632: : 7806. . 9Q: ory Sarge, iat sta a a NE nin y PRR MSHS CIES on a LIGHT UP The Night tomorrow, May se 7, in North Van at Youth Services | Canada’s march/rally against. violence. March starts 8.pm at Lonsdale-Re Centre and finishes. at. Lonsdale “Quay with guest speaker Merv: Duggan of: Caveat and refreshments and entertai ment by local Coothandluke.and . Solomain's Echo bands. Approved by, North Van City, with RCMP in atten? dance ... And over in West Van it’s the; Jast four days for gardeners and patio beautifiers ac West Van Kiwanis Giant. Plant & Basket Sale, open daily 9:30, a.mi, to dusk through Sunday, May 10, behind West Van Ice Arena off Gordon “ ‘at 22nd. 900 _ HAPPY 19TH birthday —.:zoming-of- " age day!.— tomorrow, May 7, to North Van" 's Kio Howard. L 000 WRIGHT OR WRONG: Life is NOT» a dress rehearsal. 985-2131 WORRERCMUS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, -. full address & telephone aumber. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca North Share Hews, founded sn 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and quakted under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Yax Act. ts published each Wednesday, Finday and Sunday by North Shore Free Prose - 980-0511 PETER SPI ECK Publisher 985-2131 (11) . Timotez ™ ss Managing Editer 985-2131 (118) Clussified, Accounting & Main Office Fax Michael Becker - News Editur 985-2131 (114) Andrew McCredie - Sports/Community Editor 965-2134 (147) Barbara Emo Jonathan Bell Distitution Manager Creative Services Manager 903-1337 (124) 85-2135 (127) 61,582 (average catcutation, Weanesaay, Fritey & Sunday) The North Sicre News is published by North Shore Free Prass Ltd., Pub!isher Petes Speck, from 1139 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver, B.6., V7M.2H4 Terry Photugraphy Manager 985-2131 (160) Entite contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Lid. All rights reserved. internet- http//werw.nsnews.com