TEA IETS REN TENS E ka erearakdamnieins spt ara WISTS p> Canada’s Elite a Filip Palda’ S “peddli Dear Editor: In_ keeping with North Shore ~- News’ strong beliefs of the freedom of speech, I would take issue with Filip Palda’s pronouncements on the minimum wage — Nov. 10. The good doctor should stick to “bean counting” instead of wander- ing off into politics or areas of a social m orp: psychological nature. ¢ Fraser Institute, of which Palda is senior economist, has a very .tock-eyed view of the world and one suspects that this infamous corporate charity has little to do with making society more democratic! In fact it sees government as an obstruction. The role of government is to serve us. That is why we elect them not purely to serve sharchold- ers, investors, unicns or any other group that has prominence. Patda’s complaint that govern- ments distort labor markets by demanding a reasonable and fair min- imum wage is a spurious argument. Ic is the price we pay for a degree of stability necessary in a rapidly changing world. In stretching the “myths” he introduces, it becomes obvious that to him everything and everybody has te obey the dictums of the market- place. There is another price we have to pay, for private enterprise is not free — it costs, and not all economists agree that the social and environmen- tal items are included in the formula. ppycock One such economist, Michael Walzer, who writes in Spheres of Justice, A Defense of Pluralism and Equality, puts the issue clearly: “A radically laissez-faire economy would be like a totalitarian state, invading every other sphere, dominazing every other distributive process. It would transform every social good into a commodity. This is market imperial- ism ...” ‘Nuff said. Jim McKenzie West Vancouver MAILBOX POLICY Bears deserve better fate Re: Nov, 6 North Shore News “Mother bear and cub shot dead.” +In the above-mentioned article you state that -.the mother bear and her cub had to be shot -. because they returned to the property on Keith “: Road to feed on more garbage. On: Oct. 3, the bears had been tranquilized anc relocated only 50 kilometres away from this ¢ site for better “chance of survival.” ‘The garbage was left at the property. the, Nov: ;6 .issue: conservation officer ayden | blames the garbage for the bears’ early mise. but did nor order the residents to clean Does he really try to make the public believe thar they were trying to rescue the bears? Why had the garbage not to be cleaned up until the next morning? Was it to have the assurance that the animals would come back (being only 50 km away) so they could be killed, and at the same time it would look as if an effort had been made to save them? These bears were killed about one week before they would have hibernated. -During times when people are able to walk on the moon I am sure that solutions exist that would have guaranteed the bears’ survival. LETTERS to the editor must be legible (preferatly typewrit- ten) and include your name, full address and telephone number. Due to space constraints the North Shore News cannot publish all letters. Submissions can be faxed to 985-2104 bur still mast be signed and fully addressed. Women‘s Gymnastics at Capilano College Come and see Canada's best at the National Elite Gymnastics Competition on Friday, December 13 and Saturday, December 14, in the Capilane Coliege Sportsplex. Junior competition will take place each day between l1a.m. and 2 p.m. and the seniors v-ill compete between 5:30 p.m. and 8p.m. on Friday and 6p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Sacurday. Saturday's’ — finals will be followed by an award ceremony. — - Admission is $8 for - adults; $5 for seniors and ~ students under 18.” Children under six will . : be admiered at no charge. Tickets are aan available through _ Ticketmaster at. ~~. . 280-4400, or at the dot. a For mare information, . “cali. 737-3049.. imme: ately after the bears had been removed Susan Simon n Oct. 3 ; Vancouver > Learn the History of Art o: _ advertorial, December 11/96 : - tary privileges: Unfortunately, this does not alter the fact that it is now more difficult, or “: @ven impossible, for opposition MPs to ‘ obtain information from Fisheries. employ- ees which would be useful in holding the Minister accountable. “¢ TIME ALLOCATION/CLOSURE “. , Another little know fact, thanks to the fail- : “ure of the mainstream media to report it, is _ that. Reform has managed to‘ force the : Liberal Government to set new records in terms of closing down debate on Bills before ithe House. ‘The Liberal Government, which promised. during the 1993 election : cam- i paign. that it would make Parliament \more: democratic, has turned out to be worse than the Mulroney team ‘1 terms of time alloca- tion and closure. The truth is, far from being Dear ‘Michael Yow alent jetatng me for - Bredkfase.. with Senta, it witl be a lop of {ua Seeing Sonata ond (19 helpers, Ond Laving.o great. wreak fast: + OP kaise: & ‘259... Yeu Vy kaow ms Daddy's favourite rie day, No stood in Parliament to Anat. his By ine Mn privileg in’ 24 hours so that they could. led to the Minister's office. Jchn told the’ Speaker thaf the Minister's: » structions , had created: a climate under hich: he (John) now has less access to formation than a member of the public, because some Fisheries staff have become afraid to speak to MPs or Senators. He ‘asked how he could carry out his job as Fisheries Critic for the Reform Party under such conditions, and pointed out that Ministry staff are paid by taxpayers - that they are public servants, not the per sonal servants. of the Minister. “The Speaker agreed to investigate the ‘down his decision that the actions: of the Minister. had not violated John's parliamen- an ineffective opposition, Reform has been subjecting Government Bilis to such scruti- ny that their House Leader is now regulary a9. Imposing time allocation in order to force through the Liberal agenda. . NEW VOTING HOURS One of the Bills which was vigorously opposed by Reform over the past few weeks, and which the Government rammed through using time ailocation _ on November 26, 1996, was C-63, the Bill which changed voting hours during fed- eral elections. if the Senate approves the Bill, BC voters will be faced with polls “closing at 7pm, instead of the traditional 8pm, even though people -< in : Newfoundiand will be able to vote as late as 9:30pm. Admittedly, the BC pofts will open earlier, at 7:30am, but your Reform MPs argued that most people vote at the end of the day, and that C-63 puts BC voters at major disadvantage in terms of getting fo the polis. The Liberais claimed that C-63 addresses Western concerns about learning, as soon as our polls close, which Party will form the next Government. They refused, however, to listen to OUR input as your Western rep- resentatives. We delayed C-63 as long as we could, but in the end the Government, situation, but on December 3rd he handed _‘as.usual, was able to impose its wishes upon you through the use of its voting majority in Parliament. PS, It'S on So restonrosp, 1 Sare hepe fe See gen there Michael, Moyke we could Sit feserher, Lav melissa SaPardas December 4¢ af San ( ) Good Food Every Day Knight & Day RESTAURANTS at Westview Shopping Centre prevention of f “ illnesses. Upon suc ful completion of the oni day course, participa will receive a certificate ; and wallee card, plus: their name will be =)! entered in the provincial . registry in Victoria. Course takes place on Monday, December 16, from Ya.m. to 6 pan. For more information or to register, please call 984-4901. Look for the Winter 1997 Extension. Programs Calendar in the mail next week. If you do noc receive a calendar, please call 984-4901. CAPILANO” COLLEGE 2055 Purcell Way North Vancouver _ British Columbia 986-1 911.