6 - North Shore News — Wednesday, October 11, 2000 ——_——VIEW POINT- lat tax flip-i BSH Canadian Alliance party has stumbled out of the gate over its flat tax promise. And it’s not the first time the issue has tripped the party up.:’ In unveiling the Alliance's election -, platfornt. last week, leader Stockwell Day replaced the party’s original 17% flat tax plan with a two-tiered tax sys- tem that would tax Canadians earn- “ing less than $100,€90 at the 17% rate and tax those earning over . . $100,000 at 25%. "Reasons behind the retreat are many, A flat tax has a simple ring of fairness to it, but when push comes to "shove it will provide more tax relief “for the rich than the poor, That’s a tough sell. c- And_ instituting a fiat tax is far _ more complicated than it sounds. What’s: more disturbing in“ the tea i ves y Rez: Dr. ot (Doetor fi fined for. five-vehidle crash, orth Shore News, Oct 4). «Can someone help me out here? ‘Sunday,'N 7 _at-1p.m., Dr. “Syed crashed his . Alliance’s flat tax sidestep is what appears to be basic oversights in mathematics aud due diligence on the part of Alliance election platform authors. You’d think they’d at least learn from the party’s past inistakes. In its previous Reform incarnation, the party likewise initially pushed with much energy and enthusiasm a flat tax proposal. .But economic realities coupled with unreatistic Reform flat tax levels resulted in embarrassment for the party from those familiar with tax issues and a nasty retreat from the flat tax front. The current rerun of that movie also indicates that the Alliance is set to wilt in the face cf controversy like any other political party in the heat of» a federal clection campaign. - STRIKE one more hard-won , democratic judicial principle from the human rigits industry’s list of ’ responsibilities. This one has to do with justice delayed ~ being justice deuied. Robin Blencoc i is on. the dunking stool here so the public sympathy ehiclé into. a paint ‘Shop i in Park Royal, reversed the vehi- lev an . ystander:. He’ then went forward and crashed again inte” ‘the aforesaid paint shop. - : He failed the roadside screening test for alcohol.” he Crown ‘prosecutor. said his alcoho! level was‘ well excess of the legal limit.”.": ” He was’ charged (properly. in my mind) ith impaired causing so harm ‘ind also for excessive alcoho! - 08):4 5" inse agrees to‘some . “gob ; bledygook called plea batgaining whereby Dr Sved gets'a sur judge.issues no driving suspension (or: even a‘driving’ test réquitement) and’ Dr. Syed waiks with a mere = -$600 fines: Our. provincial TV ads show: that. an‘ excess of ‘alcohol one: is handcuffed and: Will ICBC insurance cover i hind for any. claim made 1 by: fe injured pari Why. Was the’ charge ‘reduced when, there ¥ was evidence, ‘of excessive alcohol? : : Newsroom Editor “: 4 985-2131 (116) “including ‘signifi cantly injuring a - _beyond the media; but Blenc Meter t is not a factor. - So who cares? : of * Not many, ic appears... »: When it comes toi. ~ 4 politically” ‘unsavoury issues, the accused in fuman rights 2 actions - : are as goed as guilty anyway so bending» ‘the real rules of justice matters not a jot. - ‘In an Oct. 5 ruling, the favoured “hurian rights industry tactic of prosecu-™. * ‘tion by exhaustion got a shot in the arm when the Supreme, Court ‘of Canada » “determined that five years is not too.fon ‘to wait for : a case - ‘Proceed. ; > sexual harassment to -. The acciised, whose life has béei on hold during t ‘that wait, might have a “different opinion. ; =: Blencoe, for those whose } meniories get: litle foggy after five years, wes fired ‘om his government services ministe portfolic in 1995. Then-premier Mike 993 were levelled at Blencoe by three “women. The subsiance of those allega~ ions has yet.t6 be tested in any. arena 5 13-year political Career. was over the moment: those allegations. were mad He eventually moved his family east to; escape the ‘medi spotlight bi t he'd have “industry vehicle, stated that “ been better advised to move to G rcentand or. Ulan Bator. The story followed the’, _ilencoes wherever they went. : Blencog later resurfaced found work as @ security gitard. a in 1998, a B.C. Court “of Appeal decisi quashed the ailegations : against Blencoe. It ruled that the: former NDP., cabinet minister had suf- fered so much public humiliation becarse of . ; the delay in dealing | with: » “the charges that his Charter rights had been ‘violated. . ; “= But the Supreme Court has now over- : “tuened that decision Scord another win for the govern: ment’s humaa sights machinery and - another loss for judicial conimon ‘sense. - Had the Supreme Court sided with: lencoe, it.would have destabilized th human rights industry from coast to past, because delay is'a key part of wear: ng, down its quarry. ; ‘The ton, ia the delay th the more the government way. ° ” As pointed out earliér | thi report from the Canadian Human Rights: _ Act Review Panel; it routinely. takes close © to four years from the time ‘omplaini a lodg d until’a final decision’ is rendered | ler the current system. a That's unlacceprable.:. : Even the review panel, a pro rights delay in: ie complaint P problem. _ Serious d destrictive - LETTERS 10 THE EDITOR fnust i yot name, - full address ‘and telephone -. numbel Submit via e-mall. ta: tbeckerGnsnéws, com *: | 995-2191 (160) | 885-2131 (227) infancherensnews. * delay is a “mnany-aplendours zd ori 7 “It's reored in the mire of a gow ment bureaucracy driven by ideologi in Victoria where he had *- y. suc cess of the human rights industry itself, “_- which continues to pump up product 0 every front and lengthen cas¢ backlogs. In B.C. the combined annual budget for the Human Rights Commission and the Etuman Rights ‘Tribunal ' is now ove $6 million, Over the past wo years the cl sion has taken on close to: 1,500 cam- plaints.” How many are worthy of adj - cation is anyone’s guess. But, judging by : 7 those covered in the press you've got to wonde! : Consisider the recently “of the fornier Hands'