"Explain again how
We're gomng

THOSE GOLD-PLATED
. MP pensions — even after
Prime Minister Chretien’s
recent timid “reforms” —
“raise more questions than
“their mere cost. :

Not that the cost itself is exactly
- peanuts. Any MP who's already. -

scived for six years and is now
hudging 50 can depend on receiv-

_ing at feast $1 million up to'age 75

‘more if surviving longer.

“As well, he or she starts collect-
ing at age 55, a whole 10 years
before we peasants can touch our .

Old Age Security. and Canada
Pension Plan...”

‘ounger. ‘MPs with more years
of ervice. do anywhere from twice.
to four;times aswell:

ge 75 Jean Charest, now 36:

years an MP, will collect *
more than $4.5 million. Svend -
Robinson, 42 and.15 years an MP,
“can, ook forward to more than $3. 5

The mininiam total payout for
‘thé 87.MPs who now qualify i is just

ver $120 million. <

But.that sum will balloon by =

999;'when the new 1993 MPs.
‘who get re-elected ‘qualify. Around ©
80% of.the tab for this largesse _
all,indexed to. inflation — is picked”
up by the taxpayer. .:

lor can MPs" pay while actual:
Jy on the job be'called miserly. A:
basic $64,400 plus a $21,300 tax-
‘free’ expense, allowance, plus 64
-first-cless return air trips per year
:(self or family) anywhere i in

“‘Publsher
985-2131 (101)

Comptroller

, 985-2131 (133)

“im &nd
then we.
r. geverhment :
contract ates. ;

Canada, plus a $6,000 living-costs
- s allowance when the MP’s riding is

more than .100 km from Ottawa.

':/And if you’re a cabinet minister,

add another $46,645 for.a salary of

. «$111,045 plus expenses and perks.
~*~ Is this generous pay (by real-life |
. ‘standerds), culminating i in a ludi-

crouily generous pension plan, pro-
ducing the quality Parliament such
money showid buy us? The likely
answer.is: not by half.”

True, there are ministers and
MPs who fully earn such pay —

7 though even in their case NOT a

, pension twice as rich as anything i in
the private sector.
But how many other candidates

’ for MP have no remotely equiva-

lent earning prospects, in the real .

“world, their main career qualifica-
tions being networking and the gift
:. of the gab? *

| Yet if they can somehow man-

_age to get elected and, four or five

Chris Johnson
Operations Manager
985-2431 (141)

Mewes wiceuvmoiat

MUL PRAISE to local Reform MPs Ted
' White'and Herb Grubel for arranging
. a meeting on native land claims that
"actually included many voices on the issue.
The town hail process favored by our local
- federal politicians flirts with the danger of
being little more than venues in which
Refermers preach to the converted. Yet the
recent land claims meeting held on the North
Shore proved to be much more. While the
MPs had all their right-wing ducks in a row
on the official guest panel, the session attract-
ed representatives from across the spectrum,
natives included. The result: a meaningful
locai debate about something of vital impor-
tance for North Shore residents.

We share our commiunity with two Indian -

nations, the Burrard and the Squamish. Both
» are attempting to settle land claim agree-
ments with the provincial a and federal govern-

ments. Precious little pubtic light is being cast
upon a process that cries out to be much more,
open and inclusive.

This week’s North Shore News poll shows «
that North Shore residents strongly | want

‘more information and input about their

future. :

The stakes are high on both sides. Indians
say they’ve paid a high price for the conse. —
quences of contact with the white man aad ''
maintain the federal government has some.
unsettled bills to pay. The continued health of
the economy, anemic already, is at risk given:
that the tab for land claim agreements could .
run as high as $200 billion for Canada.

We have to clarify and fairly define such
crucial concepts as entitlement. Consult with -
natives and the public and keep the process
away from all levels of court save one — the
court of public opinion.

years later, fe-elected, they‘ are
guaranteed a top.income for eight
or more years and will never need
to work again after age 55.

Far from luring first-rate people .
into Parliament. — as is often
argued — such pay and pensions’
may often be doing just the oppo-
site, by providing too strong an
enticement for second- rate people
to run.

One intriguing solution has been
suggested by Financial Post editor
Diane Francis: a variable pay sys-
tem giving MPs, say, 110% of their
average taxable earnings over the
five years before election.

yt

This could be a pretty attractive’ io

bait to society’s high achievers —-:
‘and much LESS attractive than.

now to the mediocre and the losers.

Among those MP candidates ,
who are in it for the money, let’s at
least encourage the best that money
can buy.'Then pay them enough on

- the job for them — not us — to
fund their retirement RRSPs!
GIVE F LIGHT to your imagina-
tion with North Van artist Kurt

Connell’s graphic and colorful oils :

and acrylics, on display at North °
Van. City Library weekdays 8:30
a.m.-4:30 p.m. until April 20 ..

And many happy returns of today,
March 19, to West Van's Sybil
Hunden — at 78 still swimming
half a mile every day.

WRIGHT OR WRONG: Let your
conscience drive you and you'll °
never run into any heavy traffic.

Timothy Renshaw
Managing Editor
985-2131 (116)

‘Linda Stewart
Sales & Marketing Director
980-057 1 «4 9

quotes of the week:

“Every time I’ve seen some-
body attempt suicide with a gun,
they stay dead”.

North Vancouver City Coun.
Darrel! Mussatto, on the inherent
danger of firearms. (From a March
12 News story.) : ‘

ees

“ff boards in Alberta got treat-
ment like that they would think. -
they have died and gone to heay-
en.”

North Vancouver Lonsdale MLA

David Schreck, on provincial educa-:

tion funding for local school dis-°.;
tricts. (From a March 12 News

story.)

“The people that are the rob.
lem don’t even know this meeting
is going on ... they don’t give a
damn about anything.” /

’ Roy Reinmuth, during North

iy

mailboxes

Dear Editor: ' oe
Like a lot of other adults I find
myself both mentally and verbally

- complaining from time ‘to. time

about the’ appearance and behavior

- of teenagers.
_ +. But I must pantially correct this
by relating the following: On Feb..

22 at about 3:30 p.m. I got on.an
eastbound West Vancouver bus at
the corner of Marine Drive and 21st
Street. To my momentary chagrin }
found the bus full of teenagers.

Peter Kvarnstrom-
Display Manager =
980-0511 (103) |

| Valerio Stephenson
\ Classified Manager
986-6222 (202). .

Vancouver ‘City Council discussion
ona bylaw to prohibit the sale or:
repair of firearms in the city, on the
impact such a bylaw would have on
criminals. (From a March I News:
story. ve ‘ oo ;
“7m totally dependent on . -
y other people. I basically became ay
” hermit.”
Jamie Coltart, who was made a’
. quadriplegic in a crash on the Upper
’ Levels Highway, on how the acci- ©
dent has changed his life. (From a
March 10 News story.)
“They will look an awful lot, oe
like your friendly bank machine.”
. Peter Clark, the province's direc
tor of gaming policy implementa-:
tion, on what proposed video lottery
gambling terminals would look like.’
(From a March 17 News story.) -<.

“As I started down the aigle One of
_them promptly’ got up and offered ©

me his seat. Within the next several ©
blocks several more, boys and gir!s
did the same for other older people.
All of the young people, whethe
seated or standing, were behaving
normally, not making undue noise,;
or using foul language.’ 8

They deserve to be compliment:
ed and I'm happy to do so.
Maureen Tuttle,
West Vancouver =:

Trixt Agrios:
Promotions Manager’

985-2131 (1 a7}

Administration ~ —~MEMBER
Display Advertising
Real Estate Advertising

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