A6-Wednesday, November 19, 1980 - North Shore News editorial page No vote, no beefs Once again — as is their privilege - North Shore voters gave a rather saddening demonstration of present-day democracy in action (or, more accurately, inaction) at last Saturday's council and school board elec- tions. Overall on the North Shore the average turnout was 14.5% of eligible voters: 20% in North Van District, 14% in West Van and a pathetic 9.5% in North Van City. From Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay six out of seven citizens entitled to cast their ballot sat on their hands and left it to George. ” It’s a particularly frustrating situation for the public-spirited citizens who offer themselves for office. Those who topped the various polls can claim, at most, to be the choice of about one in seven of their fellow citizens. The second and third place winners have a mandate from as few as one in 12 or 14 of the registered electorate. Had the turnout been even around the 50% mark, who's to say how different the results might have been, especially for some of Saturday's losers? Certainly, the apathy displayed by so many citizens doesn't provide much encouragment for well- qualified candidates to offer the public their talents, time and energy. We do not favor compulsory voting on the Australian pattern. But democracy is a two- way street. Responsibility for good local government does not rest solely on the elected. It rests equally on the electors. If they are not prepared to play their part on polling day, they are hardly entitled to beef too much during the intervals between elections. The candidates, winners and losers alike, do play their part. They deserve our respect for that alone. One-way ticket B.C.'s new Tory leader Brian Westwood Is optimistic about the future of his party. It's $54,000 in debt, hasn't had an MLA in Victoria for 18 months, got only five per cent of the vote at the last election and had been leaderiess since January. With that kind of start there's sound reason for optimism. If the B.C. Tories survive, they've nowhere left to go buat UP! Tel VOCCE OF NORTH arcD WEST VANTOUVER sunday news : ‘ Comms dale Aloe north shore : Nac an ene 4 news fee boa 985-2131 NEWS 965-2131 ADVERTISING 980-0511 Publisher CL ADSIF IEC 4 986-6222 Peter Ho ua AT HOON 986 1337 ‘spree Associate Publisher Editor in Chief Noe Weg! Advertising Directu: t- ( bac atreret Car af eart ar Tweet Classified Manage: Creative Production & Office Adminieatrator Otrector be Rh Sto etn te Bern. >} 4thear cd Vuer beeen faye Mel ae Managing E ditor Aardy # Nows Editor Coby sy Photography "ase hoy od Bibs w ae th Dk me Ac counting Supervisor there Crea a BR ever North Shore News bo denen Dye ww rage ae the t rr eer te Tope Dee tae Date Ft woe Tae a! soothe ee eat We bk ex iain , ta Soke bo ee bea er) Patotoo te coe i) VE PAIR IR Gc ta ta AON 80 BTOW. ff , 7 a 3s CHM og @ THIS PAPER IS REC YC t ABLE CANADIAN COMMENT BY PETER WARD Northwest Rebellion replay ? OTTAWA (SF) - The great constitutional debate rolis ever onward. Last week we looked at the philosophical and language implications of what Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is Proposing to do with the shape of Canadg. This. week it's the pragmatics of power which will be under the Magnifying glass. Many observers have remarked on the fact that Ontario's Premier William Davis is the only provincial leader in alliance with Mr. Trudeau. Most have at- tributed the Davis position to what public opinion poils Show are the thoughts of Ontano citizens. Such things are important to Mr. Davis. with a provincial election coming, but his reasons for supporting Mr. Trudeau are much deeper. The constitutional! battle 1s really a power struggle between the two central Provinces and the energy- rich western provinces. Ontano and Quebec. with a combined strength of 170 federal MPs out of 282 1n the enure House of Commons. can politically dominate the whole nation. That circumstance has been a sore point with the Atlantic provinces and the western provinces all through Canadian history. Ontano and Quebec, with slightly more than half the Canadian population, have nearly two-thirds of the Rising world energy prices The heady idea of UDI has cropped up as a possible option in the great constitutional hassle. The initials stand for Unilateral Declaration of Independence, Rhodesia did which is what to Mother Smith's 1965. If lan Britain in Westmunster drags its heels on patriating the BNA act, it's been suggested that Pmme Minister Trudeau might do a UDI number of his own. Actually. UDI] might be an excellent path to follow for all concermed To begin with a ( anadian UO in present cir cumstances would be vastly different from the Rhodesian onmginal Rhodesia in still an effect an self governing Britain which was fully entitled to call the shots in all fundamental Rhodesia s Constitution such as black majority va white minonty rule 1Yos internally colony of was matters of rule Prime Monister ‘@ spiritual lan Smith descendant of King Canute! wanted white minortty rule in perpetuity So he told his Westminster to took 14 ternavional masters at Bet host dt years of wey and finally he heid san. thons bloody civil war tO convince Mer Smith a losing hand ALREADY EREF ( anada s situation a totally different ( anade has been an inde peadent sovercign naQion within the Commonwealth for almost half a century ever since the Statute of 94 Westminster tn In practice we have hog been completely free from Mothers Britains apron strings [ts only a quirk oof hastens that has le J i Canadas formal con sutution the BNA Act being stored in a West minster filing cabinet -- from which Mr Trudeau and virtually everyone else in the country now wish to retmeve ut The second potnt is chat the l Ko government itself ts just as anxious to get nd of the thing which ts nothing but an embarrassment to the Brits in this and age They have no wish to remain a depository day for other people s laundry clean or dirty The trouble as often ous with the lawyers Since the (Canadian Constitution is technically an act of the Bntish Parhament the onty way it can fdegaully be tran sferred to its nghtful owners is through another act of the British Parhament which the Brnitaah government is aching to pass This thew cen ts where Me Trudeau hay auddied the waters He doesnt merely want the occatituthen sent home He wants it sent home with the addition of a builtin charter of rights and amending formula Vigeorousty opposed ty sta ( anadian Ihe peor toces vharter wf rights and amending formula wohl have too part and parcel wolf the British Parliaments patriathon acl in the past eight years have brought instant prosperity to Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, which have been forced by federal pressure to keep energy prices at less than half the world price. Who benefits? Ontano and Quebec. of course. Federal pricing policies have slowed but not stopped the rapid shift westward of Canada's economic centre of gravity. « Noel Wright FALIGUY Naturally the Bris are not keen on being made the fall guvin this internal ¢ anadian quarrel They patriate the period Just want to Constitulhon and leave ( anadians to fight out thea differences for themselves Otherwise brimming over with goodwill the Brits dons appreciate being put on the hot seat by either one side or the other if Mr insists oon Westminster s has lrudeau blessing for fights mula charter of and amending floor Westminater may {cel forced to start arguing just to preserve Ita self tespect nowhich case CPE cout be 4 simple and painless merkasticrn all orcouened Mainly because vt world be meaninglean sine were already Inde pendent Soa Canadian WPL oouhd take a serv gentlemanly foray Laas Meanwhile. Ontario. Quebec. and the federal government have gone deeper into debt. because of revneue’ transfers, and because spending has not been curbed to match revenue reductions. The west has shared with central Canada. but not enough to suit the economics of central in- dustry, which are based on cheap energy. The central government is now moving to take control of that vital energy in an attempt to maintain traditional control of all Canada. That's a verdict registered from a lad born. bred. and raised in Ontano. so uw comes hard to wnte it. That's the conclusion Op- position Leader Joe Clark has reached. That's why he said in the opening debate on Mr. Trudeau's con- stitutional package. that Canadian confederation 1s in grave danger From here. it looks as though were heading into the worst cmsis since the Northwest Rebelhon of 100 vears ago UDI could please everybody a short letter to Westminster as follows Dear Mother Parliament Thank vou for looking after Canadas vonstitution so well far the past 11? years You have been mast helptul However i have mow desised ou new Canadian CONMsTitution of my own I wont bather vou with the details because as im sure vou will agree the, are no longer oof any concern 10 buble Purely in order te tds up therefore ] suggest that you cane! the HNA Act ,our own records with effect fram todays dute fone longer needit Yours sineerels PoE Trudeuu PS We wili keep the Queen just for the moment / will fet you Anow in due course aif weoome longer require her A simple cisvthred Cbd at this kind would give almos! everybody what they want lt would probably be greeted with o profound sigh of orehef by the British government thankful to be let off the hook so casily It would leave Mr Trudeau ino sole charge of the constitutional game responsible alone for where the « hips fall It would save the con stitutional lawyers endless commuting to and fro across the Atlanty with coough work still remaining 1A Canada to safeguard the standard of living And of course ott would wise the opposing prosine es aoxohd anew precedent! for future acthon of them own if Mr Trudeau hung tough Provincial UDT sounds se moch more Aignified than separatisits