Extend State sorrow to QUICK, citizens: Ottawa is on its knees begging for forgive- ness. Or a bureaucratic varia- tion thereof. It’s time to strike while the weasel words are hor. Get our own licks in while we can. as pop star Sir Reginald Dwight once warbled, sorry always seems the hardest word to say. For the federal government the lyric could be more accurately recast to read: sorry is a word we never say. At least not in so many words, Usually in many more words than are ne . Apologies, government lawyers accurately point out, can be expensive. Take the recent hubbub over Canada’s aboriginal people. Earlier this month, Orrawa extended the prover- bial olive branch to native bands across the iand for past damage done to their people in Canada’s barbaric residen ‘tial scheols. The carefully worded gov- ernment statement on the matter expressed “profound regret for past actions of the federal government which have contributed to these difficult pages in the history of our relationship together. Along with the govern- ment regrets come ‘sacks of soothing dollars, including a $350-million healing fund and assorted cash totalling over $600 million. Regrets too, it seems, can be expensive. Canada’s natives have a new stack of cold cash to help salve their injured feel- ings. But what about the rest’ of us? services fully Warranty approved wa has likewise its constitucats From ning sea ain a variety reatet, protound or other- wise, then at the very least some political words of con- trition and more than a few healing dollars. How about, for exam a sincere expression of pro- found fiseal lament from the feds to all taxpaving Canadians for running up a tederal debt of S600 billion? And for having the gall to continue milking those same taxpayers to pay the coun- try's way out of the political- ly generated fiscal disaster? That mismanagement has left every man, woman and child in Canada on the hook for $20,000. A healing fund in this cat- egory could come in the form of a sincere tax break that would put dollars back in picked pockets eve where. Under the same category would come expressions of regret for overseeing the vir- tual collapse of the Canada Pension Plan and subse- quently sticking it to both employces and employers across the land by jacking up CPP contributions from 5.85% of pensionable carn- ings to 9.9%. The feds could then set to work on the wording of the apology for saddling Canada ‘Reg. $28. 95 Pennzoil 10W30 Not valicl with other offers. 31362 Marine Drive 980-9115 Mon-Sat 6:30am-6:30pm, Sun. 9:60am-5:00pm ExpiresJan. 25/98 4 with an immigration system thar has been taken to the ners by bogus refugees the vorld over. A recent report on the Canadian immigration mess suggests a host of chunges to shore up the lamentable system, including require: ments that potential immi- grants actually be able to speak and understand at least one of the country’s two official languages and that immigrants be charged tuition fees tor language training in French or English. But there remains the matter of the political will to incorporate any of the report’s i and some even more pressing changes as suggested by John Reynolds. " Vancouver- Sunshine Coast Reform MP proposes, for example, detaining anonymous refugee claimants at the country's border and establishing some kind of legitimacy of those seeki to the country before allowing them in. He also advocates ship- ping criminals and cheats back to where they came from on the next plane rather than letting them roam free in Canada until authorities can track them down. Canadians also deserve official expressions of regret for the government engi- neered emasculation of its armed forces that began with the ill-advised unification of the army, navy and air force into one drab mass and con- tinues apace. The latest offensive from the dimwits on Parliament Hill is the launch of an dggressive campaign to recruit at least 3G0 women for combat duties in the armed forces. Job fairness appears co be at the root of this campaign. “qual opportunity for anni- But, as a civil Canadian, would you rather have armed forces noted for their employment equity or respected for their effective: Sorry will be a lit it ever came to hostilities at the border. Elsewhere, apologies are in order from Ortawa for its supervision of the destruc tion of once bountiful f eries on the country’ and west coasts; the post office quagmire; the crum- bling of the Canadian dolla the interminable debate over unity; and, last but not feast, the relentless y entire fabric of nation. The country has become litle more than a myth pro- mulgated by Ottawa and its battalions of civil servants. A country that author Joe Armstrong nightly says “has been turned into a victim: culture society as defined by its own Constitution.” A lame excuse of a place. his where we started: makipg excuses and apolo- gies. A sorry state of affairs indeed. sheed PA Part of the Provincial Road Safety Program. INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT?. Call DEREK A. CAVE Trial Lawyer Get the settlement you deserve. late if Best Ideas Kit. A Must Read This RRSP Season! ¢ Top mutual fund recommendations for right now! ° High yield investment alternatives. ¢ Midland Walwyn’s top stock picks. «And more! For your FREE copy CALL 925°5565 MIDLAND WALWYN BCUE CHP THN ainGy ™Blue Chip Thinking is a tracemark ot Midland Walwyn Capital Inc. 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