6 - North Shore News ~ Sunday. October 22, 2000 VIEW POIN A CLARIFICATION: POrun ANDS up all of you who were clamouring for a federal elec- tion this fail. Not exactiy a forest of hands out there, is it! It’s a cynical but sad truth that the first rule of politics is to get elected, the second: to get re-elected. The Liberals under Jean Chrétien have refined this mission to an art form. This week’s so-called mini bud- get is only the Jatest case in point. But buried beneath the income tax reduction carrots remain a few sides of bacon. Program spending is slated to rise by some $8-billion this year and another $10 billion in the next two. Gn shat is not clear, but rest assured, there'll be plenty of cash to throw at favoured riding projects just as in recent years. The only difference will ‘be that HRDC won't be the agency Si cart. Then there are additional billions allocated to “prudence” and “contin- gency” reserves. And thea there is this new wrinkle of a “remaining balance”: $2 billion this year, $4 billion the next. Some of these reserves will cut taxes or the debt, but there are a lot of unmarked bills being squirrelled away by a government not famous for its commitment to transparency and accountability. Leaving aside this arty’s stated intention to abolish the GST and NAFTA, can anyone recall Chrétien taking responsible for the APEC debacle or the shame of Somalia? The short memory of voters is counted on by politicians of all stripes, - but none more so than by an old prime minister who appears to be more inter- ested in outlasting rivals, than he docs . in articulating any vision for the future of Canada. 'M GOING TO COMPLETE THE SEULL MANDATE THE PEOPLE OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRAPOR shoveling the bills off the back of the __: “He was just a little guy but he loved football. (He) :took it so seriously that he would pick up hitchhikers on = ‘his way to the game and ask them if they wanted to ay.” ; bs Pp Brian Sedgwick on his dad, Judge Harvey Sedgwick, who « ‘passed away Oct. 9. Sedgwick was instrumental in organiz- ‘ing the Gordon Sturtridge Football League. (From an Oct. 18 News story. ) . - qo0- ~. “When you target people's private Property it bites at ithe corner of communism.” North Vancouver resident Shane Nyquvest worries his jouse may. be expropriated to make way for a waterfront trail: (F roman Oct. 20 News sary) . “] feel that the word ‘expropriation’ i is beirig bandied : ,around deliberately to alarm people.” -7.-+Maureen: Bragg,’ -former waterfront task force chair, ‘sponds to concern: From the same Ort. 20 story.) on 2 gy g a uot , “He is thumbing his nose at the Canadian public.” _ rown prosecutor Gerry. Sair_on the lack of remorse wn by North . Vancouver resident-and immigration con- : rant Iraj Rezaei, found guilty on Friday. of people smug- “gling. (Front an. Ort. 20 News sory.) “He was the Michael Jackson of his day. He was very vell known for lovely littte melodies.” Sinfonia Orchestra of the North Shore conductor Clyde — itchell on his choice of music by composer Franz Schubert . ‘for the orchestra’s “Salute to Austria, ” (From an Oct. 20 This ; Week story. ts DO YOU HAVE 4 NEWS TIP? Business Hours: Michael Beckor.- - ~- >, News Editor 985-2131; local 14. suburban fewspaper and qualtied under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published ‘ : an Rare Tips on THIS just in: Previously unpublished excerpts from The Political Games of Our Lives, Buying and Selling Public Offi ce, a soon-to-be released how-to tome from the federal Liberal party. It's gor best-seller written all over it. And from the party ‘that’s been in power in Canada for close to 78 of the country" s 133 © ~. years, it’s also got authority written all over it. Below are some timeless Games tips for ’ political opportunists in the lead-up to the ~ federal election: Tip No. 1: Don’t get duped into debat- ing issues that matter to the public; con- trol the info flow. . Start with election advertising restric- tions. Media‘ gripers and other hotheads - refer to them as gag laws. What do they know? Only the negative, that’s what. ‘We know that the tighter the rules on | who says what the more limited the dis- cussion of issues outside the familiar party boilerplate. -’ And that’s good for clinging to politi- cal office. ° Our latest Canada Elections Act is a good example. it prohibits individuals or groups from spending over $150,000 nationwide to support or oppose any * party, candidate or issue duneg a federal election campaign. © And they can’t spend any more than ~ $3,000 of that amount in any single elec- tora! district to. express themselves. Violators face ‘Up to 0 five years in jail. . Serra cone PO fications Company and distributed to every door orth Share. Ganada Post Canadian s Mail, Sates Product Agreement No. 0087238, Mailing rates available on request. Entire ‘contents ©2000 HON Pubiications Company. All ‘rights: aeserved. ‘Avarage circulation for” Wednesday, Friday and Sunday Is 64471. f Terry Editorial Manager. 985-2131 (160). Of course, those Spending limits don’t _ apply to political parties: We're free to spend millions peddling our recycled plat- forms and ‘personalities, Talk about pro-active. information control! Prior to the arrival of the upright Canadian Alliance, all the estab- lished parties agreed on ° this one. Another minor glitch: politically unaftili- - * ated groups like the National Citizens Coalition keep challeng- ing election spending , . laet restrictions in the courts... on constitutional g grounds. They did it successfully in 1984 and 1993. But, not to worry, we just keep com- ing up ' with new restrictions when an elec: - tion is in the wind. With a majority gov-. ernment it’s pretty much a slam-dunk each tine out. . And, don’e forget, those misguided cit- izens groups have limited budgets. As a- member of the ruling party, you don’t... (Sce previous chapter: Taxes — — Money Without End.) Controlling access to government : information is good policy throughout - your term in office. The Information Commissioner of the day can get in the way here but if he’s. allowed to vent his spleen occasionally fhe . retty fast. . Ventilations from current Information -: whole thing usually blows over Commissioner John Reid include his ” charges that the Prine Minister's Office i threatening commission staff over the release of gi government documents and -otherwise trying to roadblock public. access to sensitive issues, All part of the Political Games of Our’ “LETTERS TO THE EDITOR fuse include your - hone number. name, full address. and. t Executive Editor: fy 365-2131 (756) ..IN OTTAWA, Lives, fellow pols. Don't get down; Bet dirty. Tip No. 2: Manipulate the country’ democratic process for the good of the party. Call an election whenever victory looks most assured NOT when i it matte most to the country. : This time around we're a year and a haif from the end of our mandate and there’s no compelling reason for the. country to go to the polls: But we need - to secure another mandate to keep the party and all its hangers-on employed at the public trough baa: " ‘Tip No. 3: The bigger the scandal the _- more. dollars you'll need to bury it Remember Human Resources : Dev elopment Canada’s mismanagement : $1 billion in job creation funds? Up until ; that pesky Auditor General’s report, it was _ all getting a litde foggy i inthe old recall department wasn’t it. Especially back . . where federal tax dollars, buoyed by, ot - $12 billion surplus, have fon been ing from the sky. ; . » Those dollars can be dispensed in’ : slightly disguised ways, such’as the recén ‘changes to Employment. Insurance rules’ _to benefit seasonal workers, more.o : “whom are concentrated in yote-sensi regions of Quebec and the’ Mari _ you éan just pitch-fork it o| "the government-as-benefactor: wagon: See recent revelations regarding ‘millions --dollazs going to to hotels id -Fesorts across the country. : "stay tuned for more: Games cx