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* Entire contents ) 1996 North: Shore Free Press Ltd.”

“oy CURSED by drivers though it was from beginning to end, the $9 million Second Narrows Bridge upgrade project is a good

example of government tapping the all-

mighty power of financial incentive to pro- mote! efficiency. The project, which started June 6, finished Aug, 1, almest two weeks ahead of schedule. What's this? A government project complet-

ed ahead of schedule.

/How could this be? Simple, The company. overseeing the job, Peter

* Kiewit and Sons, was inspired by a substan- ‘tial financial incentive to finish early.

Never mind the daily abuse workers took on

“the bridge from frustrated commuters, money talks louder than invective.

The firm’s _ early- compiction bonus:

$25, 000 for cach day prior to the Aug. 11. deadline.

! Because it was finished 10 days earlier, Peter

Ref

IS Preston Manning’s sudden dedication to political correctness about to destroy the

' Reform Party as an

effective political force?

When even once trusty lieutenants shy from cndorsing

po Money moves |

Kiewit and Sons pockets a coo! $250,000.

On the other hand, for each day the project was delayed after Aug g. 15, the contractor would have been charged $109,000.

The bridge project was a painful exercise in commuter frustration and transportation grid- lock.

We learned that our North Shore traffic sys- .

tem is a mere two lanes away from chaos at any

given moment and that we have outgrown our ”

two existing Burrard Inlet bridges.

We need ¢ to rethink our whole transit system and our ela on the single-occupant vehi- cle.

But it was also an enlightening exercise in.

the government/private sector combining to complete a project quicker than expected.

And it begs the question: Why not expand .

such incentive throughout... government and straight to the heart of our ponderous public

service bureaucracy? An incentive that would benefit us all,

De without Ontario—let alone Quebec, where Reform’ s score is zero,

So what can be done to stop Jean Chretien from still presiding i in a wheelchair at 99 over whatever is still left of Canada?

Clearly the only answer is

for Reform and Progressive Reform.

_V3B 7)4

Derek &. “ Waddingham

Plug into parents network

Dear Editor:

Iam writing on behalf of the Pen Parents of Canada support network.

The network is for people | : who have experienced Prep / ’ nancy loss or the death of a’. 3 child or children.

We. have.;recently lost: a ‘child and have found this . proup to be a tremendous.

elp in dealing with our. grief.

Pen Parents of Canada isa support network of grieving: families who provide | an opportunity for « bereaved parents and. grandparents to : F talk about their child or'chil- - dren . through ‘correspon-: dence with others in similar’ situations and. through a quarterly newsletter, ‘

Many have discovered that. : writing is a powerful, release of feelings.

Sharing these ‘thoughts with someone who has: expe-. rienced the. “ultimaze.. tragedy” can be very healing: ’ This we have found to be : very true.

Upon becoming a Pen. Parent, a list of parents who: have experienced similar loss~ es will be sent...

Letters may be’ any parent’ on. the - lis addition to: various type : loss networks, there are con- tact lists for single: or divorced moms, sterile ™ or infertile parents. 3. >">

For more information please contact:

Pen Parents of Canada ‘ a PO Box 52548 Ls RPO Coquitlam | Centre Coquitlam, BC; ° *

Heathet

lilman@foz.nstn.ca. Kingston, Ontario a

What now has to 0 hap en is recogtition ‘by Manning and Charest of their common goal . and the impossibility of either teaching it alone in the upcoming fede work as one, or else stand guilt ,Canada's big electorate of small-c conserva-

: tives-~ just as the latter were betrayed in B.C.’s May election because Liberal leader Gordon Campbell refused to ally his party with BC

ral election. They must of betraying ©

their leader and when a much

trumpeted “fresh start” finds

the de facto 51-seat Commons opposition ‘drop- ping from 16% to 12% in the latest opinion poll — while Chretien’s Liberals continue to bum- ble aimlessly along at 57%—it’s a question that has to be asked with some urgency.

Democracy needs an alternative government always ready to take over. With a 1997 federal election looming, Reform has current! istic hope of de cating the Grits on behalf of Canada’s smail-c conservatives —who have his- torically accounted for up to 45% of the popular

. VOte.

Reform remains concentrated in Alberta and B.C., and even there with some slippage (in

B.C. the poll -gave Reform 19%, down from its

36% of the popular vote in 1993). Its sole Untario MP is considering whether to run again, and the party came bottom in the recent Hamilton by-election that returned Sheila

-Copps to cabinet. You can’t aspire to 24 Sussex _

Aa

no real-»

Conservatives to make com-

mon cause in a single political

bloc. Both have rejected that so far—on both sides out of arrogant'pride. For Canada to have a future this must cease, whatever egos arc bruised in the process.

Though reduced to two Commons seats, the PCs tied with Reformat 12% in the latest poll, giving the combination a respectable 24% on which to build. PC leader Jean Charest com- mands respect coast to coast. And his party, despite its recent misfortunes, still represents the legacy —aot lightly to be trashed—of nation-building Sir John A. Macdonald.

Canadian voters who humbled the

- Campbelf-Mulroney Tories in 1993 were not

about to abandon Canada’s 126-year-old Conservative tradition. They were simply rap- ping its then wayward incumbents sharply on the knuckles. Meanwhile, major policy differ- ences between Manning’s “fresh start” Reform Party and today’s PCs are virtually non- ~existent.

’ ‘ship.

Charest has charisma, Quebec and, history ” on his side, Manning has excellent organiza-. tional gifts. They can make a powerful Partner

Finally, the coalition will need a new name— both the exi:.ing ones being a tad-shopsoiled.I suggest 4 name that says it.all, while preserving both proud pedigrees: THE REFORMED

C ONSERVATIVE PARTY.

You’re very welcome, Preston aud Jean. But to save Canada as well as your own political. hides, for heaven’s sake get moving —(ike °: TODAY! :

900

MANY HAPPY retarns of today, Aug.7 7, to 5 West - Van Kiwanian Hank McAdams..... More of ‘the : same Friday, Aug. 9 to West Van Legionnaire: Jim’

Irvine. ; :

/. QQ Q : , WRIGHT OR WRONG: Happy. married cou ples are those who decide it was the best mistake :

; they ever made.