AG - Wednesday; April 28,1982 - North Shoré News Get tough There is only one practical answer to the often tragic toll being wrought by B.C.’s bad drivers, statistically the worst and most numerous in the country. Punishment for those convicted of dangerous driving of- fences must be made into a frightening deterrent for others. Easter weekend on the Squamish Highway provided one more example of the size of the problem. Police laid some 400 charges for speeding, all but one for speeds in excess of 100 km per hour. And 57 charges were laid for passing on double lines. The situation is equally bad in built-up areas. It is virtually impossible to drive the Marine Drive route from West Vancouver into North Vancouver without witnessing at least two or three cases of 60 k/h speeders who, as often as sot, also ran red lights. And this behavior is duplicated on every major thoroughfare in Greater Vancouver. Only good luck and care on the part of other drivers prevents many more daily accidents. The ideal answer is greatly increased enforcement. But there simply aren’t enough police to keep tab on more than a tiny fraction of the potential killers behind the wheel. The sole alternative is penalties harsh enough to make even the slight risk of being caught not worth taking. Among them, minimum four-figure fimes and licence suspensions for speeding, crossing double lines and running lights — with automatic jail terms for second offences. Tough justice. But still not as tough — for the criminal or his victim — as a slab in the morgue. Free MPs from the party line Parliamentary reform is one of the most popular subjects in the capital these days. Trouble is, the opposition and the government have different ideas about what Parliamentary reform should involve. In the government view, parliamentary reform should be aimed at making it easier to get legislation through the regular channels of the process, so that legislative programs can be planned. There really isn’t any goveroment interest in granting to the opposition any part of the responsibility for making sure the laws passed by Parliament are good ones. The opposition’s idea of Parliamentary reform, in the main, is the need to restore some of the checks on chief goal of Parliamentary reform in Canada should be to restore freedom of action to back benchers of both government and opposition parties, so that they can more properly represent their constituents without ®®% Canadian Comment BY PETER WARD government which have been removed during the past 15 years in the name of reform. There are other op- position ideas, though, which are better value. When Joe Clark was prime minister he proposed to give more clout to Parliament's committees; to give them something of the status of Congressiona) committees in the United States, where committees are their own Masters, and muster con- siderable political clout. Cla: x also wanted to allow the official opposition to choose the main estimates of any two government departmecnu.. for con- Sideration in ihe committee of the whole House of Commons, wii no. time limit. Mr. Trudesu sid he liked that idea. He hasn't in- troduced it. However you slice it, the being clobbered by nmgid party discipline. Once Canadians hear their MPS speaking as representatives of the grass roots, and not necessarily people toeing a party line, then some of the lost public faith in our poliucal system will be restored. MPs are elected to be part of the legislative process in Ottawa, and most are men and women of high caliber. It doesn’t take the average new MP long to discover that there isn't much clout on the back benches, unless you play the game as determined by the party brass. If government 1s _ less afraid of criticism. more ready to listen 10 con- structive suggestions, then we can revitalize the system. If that doesn't happen. look out for a type of one-party dictatorship. Simple message | Pierre’s ally - Brian Mulroney No government leader in Canada can sleep soundly following Monday's crushing defeat of Allan Biskeney’s vaunted NDP ad- ministration im Saskatchewan by a Tory steamroller he never saw coming. The simple message would seem to be that voters, suffering in the worst recession since World War Two, are out after the hides of present governments, regardless of party. The moral for the latter: shape up or ship out. sunday or ri @ervrAas«G Olsplay Advertising 980-0511 north shore Classified Advertising 986-6222 a] ew Ss Newsroom 985-2131 Circulation 986 1337 1139 Lonsdale Ave... North Vancouver 6 C V7M 2H4 Publisher Peter Oped k Associate Publisher Editorin-Chiet Advertising Otrector Robert Graham Noet Wright ben, Cardwell General Manager. Creative Administration & Personnot Otrector Mis Berm Hmusd Varn f ocarve as Circulation Director Bian A tis Production Director Banc bh Sotcne vert nc oc asses North Shove Mewa. knwniedi a EVO an an mickopendennt o onnveramily newnpaper and qasabhod under Schodkde Mi Mant Mh Marageaph M of the treotme Tas Act om gad@e@saiverd each Woulhesday and ‘sunday by Nortth Dhow tree frosn tid and distibated to every Goon can the North Gihore Second Claas Mal Regetraton Number sit Entire contents 1967 North Shore Free Press ltd All rights ;esorved Deutinc ethos Moth asd West Varwaowe $0: sates oveathattn on cocpetrst poerr yevene | Mantdirgy No cena atty omccargtent othr ceimaath Mee) rrsaaterradtl osc dees btrigy nas ptD ov pe tees whet abe al bre oC engannucdt bry a starry nerd mith enserd orrnectug se VEE DD CMQUCAR ATION 53.993 Wednesday $3 404 Gunday rs lao Come showdown could again for How can voters look for salvation toa party that cant even work ounItsS Own sally ation? Mr Truce au whose rellrement meanderings ate at the root of so much of the bomes present torment mustbe Chorthing inwardly kor the purpose cal destroying the credibility ot the Tomes as oa alternative viable goverament Canadas desperate necd at the moment what bette: allies could he have than the Mulroneys pad thers sponsors” When oh when Tomes grow up and tabk« thetr responsibilities to the nation senousty’ wall thre