MP Grubel answers
criticism by Canadian
FJewish Congress

Deana Lancaster
Contributing Writer

THE freedom to hold beliefs, includ-
ing unpopular ones, came under fire as
Libertarians met this week at the
Whistler Convention Centre.

The 15th annual world conference of the
nternational Society for Individual Liberty began
in the resort town on Monday, amid accusaticns
by critics abour a possible right-wing agenda and
Acontroversy over the participation of speakers
Msuch as Colorado Senator Charles Duke, a U.S.
militia supporter; and News columnist Doug
ae Collins, who spoke carly in the week about cen-
gsorship in B.C. and Canada.
The theme of the conference was “reclaiming
Hour liberties from out-of-control governments.”
During a discussion period on Tuesday, con-
yference guest speaker Leon Louw, of South Africa,
St took to his feet.
q." “I have ‘a ‘smoker’s rights’ T-shirt on,” he

‘weapon’

From page 1

nd I was laid off.”
Legros had also called the Motor
Vehicle. Branch Weigh Scales and
xplained to them that “I wanted to
be legal,” and that he was tired of
Ri driving “with no overweight sticker, -
qno inspection sticker,” He'said that
e°d “actually ‘hoped to ‘be pulled
the ‘police, in. spite of the
icket'he’d receive, just to have the
Struck taken ‘off the road. “The boss
howed me ‘a’ way around all the
scales (mandatory check stations) in
Vancouver. He gave me a route.”
Inland Kenworth, a truck facility
Bin: Burnaby, condemned the Western
WStar truck on March 2, 1995, but
ave ita temporary sticker. “I took ;
(the truck) back for one more -
Hiob,”. Legros said. : an
“The truck was taken to Midtown |
tuck..Service’ Inc..on March 16, ;
1995.-and “eventually passed an ,
spection at that location. !
Summing up his experiences in.”
ithe ‘trucking industry, Legros flatly
stated: *“The truck isa weapon.”
The inquest continues,

From page

pointed out to the group
of about 140 delegates,
mostly American, mostly
white, and many middle-
aged.

Louw doesn’t smoke.
In fact, he said he thinks
it is a disgusting, offen-
sive habit.

He said Libertarians
have the only idevlogy
which supports the
rights of people they may
not agree with.

“Libertarians are in
favor of the debate,” he
said. “They are not in
favor of a conclusion to
the debate.”

Too often, Louw
said, Libertarians allow
themselves to be associ-
ated with specific causes.

Louw is scheduled to address the conference
early tomorrow. He is the founder of South
Africa’s Free Market Foundation and was jointly
nominated with his wife for the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1989, 1991, and 1992 for their work in pro-
mating a peaceful end to apartheid.

Herb Grubel, Reform MP for Capilano-Howe

REFORM MP Herb
Grubel came under
fire from the CJC.

:
OS Canada’s a
'.| FOUR North Shore lads helped B.C. win the gold medal at the recent Canadian U-19 Rugby,
Nationals. They are (left to right): Garth Prouse, Ron Johnstone, Ryan Stewart and Mike

Andrew. Johnstone, Prouse and Stewart were also selected to play tor Canada ona tour of
Wales later this year. All four are members of the Capilano Rugby Club.

Tips needed to solve case

“He said, ‘Well, he’s been unconscious for about five

minutes,

Sound spoke to the conference on Tuesday, slam-
ming special interest groups as he discussed the
impact of the Canadian debt on future genera-
lions.

Earlier this month, Grube} came under fire
from the Canadian Jewish Congress for welcom-
ing the conference to his riding. He defended his
actions in a letter to the CJC on Aug. 15, saying:

“T have the full confidence in the ability of
Canadians to reject racist and extremist ideas, and
have seen no evidence that permitting freedom of
expression has undermined our Canadian values.”

He told reporters after his speech that he
shared many of the delegates’ concerns about big
government, but didn’t necessarily agree with
other views held.

Topics covered earlier in the conference
included: healing the world through wealth cre-
ation; how the welfare state destroys the character
of individuals; and the growth of the American
police state und the growing resistance against it.

The conference winds up tomorrow evening
with a gala evening featuring Jaco!s (Bumper)
Hornberger speaking on Libertarianism: The
Hope for the World.

Of course, as the delegates leave the conven-.

tion centre after the party they'll have to watch
their language, since the 15th annual world con-
ference for individual liberty was held in a munic-
ipality that has a bylaw banning profanity.

best

”

said Derry.

i Back to School...
‘@ Bright Lights.

BD MAIIDOX.. io snraneninnne 8
BE MIRCHEN ienscnne 7
a Neighborhoods

) North Shore Alert

Real Estate... ee 37

Initially upon nis ret-rn from hospital, Kevin needed
a wheelchair, then a walker, then a couple of canes, then
a single cane.

“It was very exciting for us when he threw the cane
away,

“Right now for us the worst thing is Him waking up
in the middle of the night in pain,” said Barb. “IH wake

' up also because he'll wake up screaming”

Throughout the ordeal, the one nagging question
that continually struck a nerve for everyone surrounding
Kevin, is the identity of the driver of the vehicle that
struck him.

Kevin was, and continues to be, the victim of a hit
and run.

The accident was featured on an installment of Crime
Stoppers, but to date no definitive tips have come in.

Most of the material in the re-enactment came from
information supplied by Kevin’s co-worker, the first one
to arrive at the scene.

Derry," an ex-police officer, recalls a young man
approaching. him shortly after his arrival on the scene and
asking how Kevin was doing.

“T said to hiny obviously not so well, he's been
involved in a pretty serious accident.”

The man’s response to this day leads Derry to believe
he was, in fact, the driver or at Ieast an occupant of the
vehicle.

When Derry inquired if the man was responsible for
the accident, the man’s reply was: “No, I’m just an inno-
cent bystander,

“Right away 1 thought he had too much informa-
tion,” said Derry, “1 was torn because as soon as T moved
out of Kevin’s line of vision he would start screaming my
name.”

Derry also remembers seeing a vehicle parked up the
street that he noticed was gone shordy after the mysteri-
ous man’s disappearance.

Barb says identifying the driver of the vehicle “is very
important to us,

“IP's going to be a sense of closure to know exactly
what happened, it’s the missing piece.”

“f don’t want this to happen to someone else,” she
said, “IF this person was drunk and they didn’t stop, |
hope it’s not a regular thing for then’ — driving drunk,

“We were lucky. Kevin’s alive and he’s OK, but some-
one else may not be so lucky.”

For now the Townsends are concentrating on making
up for time they've fost during, the ordeal and hoping
their lives return to normal sooner rather than later.
They’re already planning for it.

“He (Kevin) said he'll ride again,” said Barb adding,
“He’s not going to ride to work for a while.”

Tips on the hit and run can be forwarded to Crime

Stoppers’ at 669-TIPS.

Rights |
council
faces
court
acti

By Robert Galster
Contributing Writer

THE North Shore News’
struggle with the NDP
government’s attempts at
regulating free speech in
British Columbia has
taken yet another turn.

On Aug, .7 the Council of
Human Rights announced its
intention to pursue a complaint
made to the recently created
body by the Canadian Jewish
Congress.

Although a specific date for
the hearing has yet to be set,
News Publisher Peter Speck
announced plans to challenge
the appoint- | a
ed body’s
raison detre
in B.C.
Supreme
court.’

“For us ©
to appear
before the
body:
acknowl-
edges its
legitimacy,”
‘said Speck.-

News
lawyer.
David -
Sutherland
confirmed a -
B.C.
Supreme .
Court petition will seek to chal-
lenge the legislation introduced
in Bill 33 and the council's
asserted jurisdiction to entertain’
the complaint. © - aes

But he didn’t elaborate on his
strategy saying, “I don’t want to

¢ the case in the press.”

Sutherland added he antici-
pates the petition will be heard
this fall. : . .

Throughout the two-year
saga that is the case between the
North Shore News, its colum-
nist Doug Collins and the
human rights council, the. News
has maintained that the council’s
establishment is in itself unde-
mocratic “and issued repeated
warnings that the governmental
-budy can be used: to limit free-
dom of expression, 7

“The over-riding principle is
freedom of speech,” said Speck.
“We're not just talking about
Doug Collins, the key issue here
is that the public has a right to
know even if you don’t agree
with him.”

The human rights council
originally received the Canadian
Jewish Congress complaint: in
May 1994. On Aug. 16, 1995,
the council released its investiga-
tive report. By the fall of 1995,
the News responded to the
report, urging the council to
‘drop the matter, to no avail. -
“For his part, Cotiins remains
‘unrepentant. During a speech at
the recent International Society:
for Individual Liberty 1996
World Conference in Whistler,
Collins referred to the council
and its sponsoring legislation Bill
33 as “Orwellian. a

“More freedom means; less
freedom, human rights commis-
sions become human wrongs
commissions, and political cor-
rectness means political’ strait.
jackets,” said Collins. “

BOUG Collins -
«. @ target of
B.C. Human
‘Rights Council -
scrutiny. —