6 - North Shore News - Sunday, May 21, 2000

IG Brother is watching you but, not to worry, Big Brother says it’s all right.

Are you worried yet? You should be. Revelations from Privacy Commissioner Bruce Phillips in his annual report to Parliament are cause for more than simply worry.

The report stated that the federal -government has files on all of us — clase to-40 million persans living and dead. And not just name and address stuff — up to 2,000 pieces of informa- tion ranging from marital status to social assistance history.

The information: resides. with the Human Resources Department. That’s _the same screwball outfit headed by ‘Jane. Stewart that was on the hot seat earlier this year for the mismanage- “Ment of: ta of $1 billion in job

VIEW POINT:

Statistics Canada has similarly eem- prehensive information but is bound by strict laws as to that iniormation’s use.

No such restrictions bind Human Resources. And that’s alarming.

Especially considering that detailed information from the Human Resources data base has been shared with companies and other entities out- side government without public knowledge or consent.

Stewart has assured Canadians that the information her ministry has cof- lected is secure. Considering the source, that should be enough to ring alarm bells across the land.

Canadians have a right to privacy and an expectation that their govern- ment is using information it collects about them responsibly.

i

Right now they have neither.

problem. with) police officers in the field ‘don’t take the initiative to talk to someone who’s on unti¢ stretch of thé district at 1:30 in. the

\ flashlight, standing on the side of the ©

mad ‘when he’s sent to. investigate a motor vehicle acci- ‘dent.?. 3:

West: Vancouver: resident Malcolm: Bell, commenting on ‘West: Vancouver Police actions after he phoned i in the report -

that was eventually found to have -

y: cras| éar-old Nick ¢ Downs. ( (From a May 14 News story. )-

something cebly wrong fyou can't weat an ‘of socks to keep’ warm. don’t sce why they t be ject the same educational approach as -

“District councillor: ‘Janice Harris does

uck: drivers who sit at-the entrince to the

‘Narrows bridge and [et their vehicles run for long ods ‘of ti time | to be, fay from anew bylaw prohibiting

th adlesecne bs (of independent film’ -in this: At. tea looks very cool and

Hollywood ‘North’ before Film Festival. ‘(From a May 1 This Week story.)

band: in band with and fishi it’s a: no-

water Tackle ownier Dave Steele, commenting cn the

fishing industry gets from gov-. ‘emment dministration © the salmon t resource, (From a May

Ml our News Editor ° “Michael Becker 985-2131 (a4) : Call 925-2131 (press 3}

TALK about “deja vu all over again,” last week’s Tory by-elec- tion victory in St.

John’s,

‘Newfoundland, has

’. almost certainly

‘sealed Canada’s

political fate until

2005. —

That fate being a

third Chretien-le Liberal government in a

“OW, even though a “majority of the elec-... . = torate will likely vote. 4 ‘against it. Let'me explain. — -

Poor bumbling, rock-stubborn Joe "Clark's remaining Progressive ° . Conservative fai came out of their = convention last weekend in Quebec . Singing brave songs about their future «but still with no plan — except a woolly

cking his bags" |*promise to pay off the national debt by

2025 — to give them any edge over their :competitors in the Canadian Alliance,

with its already greater momentum. Had they gone on, the very next day, to lose -

Vetted Ties Ornate Or Kann Peet u&. Wesle acs dt ecartaencom

VIEWERS ILL ee ae BEING AXED!

Inj particular, joe still insists he will field'‘a vai slate of 301 candidates in the . _ upcoming federal election.

He may well Sind that a tougher job than he. ~

Noel Wright |

bargained for, especially in the west. But there’s little doubt he’ll go ail out in Ontario, where: | the election will be won: or lost. And even if the Alliance did much better there than Reform had on two previous occa: sions, the continued ~ Splitting of the right- ’ wing vore in that key province ‘could still allow a goodly num- : ber.of Liberals to slip, to victory up the middle. | - Meanwhile, i it must “also be noted that Joe Clark’s continuing refusal to make’: common ‘cause with the Alliance is not ‘ .the only hurdle on the fatter’s path to ousting the Liberals. The “united”. party has some threatening built-in problems of ©

. hither and yon

meaning B.C., “Alberta and the Praitie. for Long, Ontario: “Particularly, ‘signific is the news that some of Long’s Ont

* supporters have openly ‘declared their intention to quit the ‘Alliance arid return - to the Tories unless Long wins

Conversely, there’s ‘grumbling western Alliance members that that 7 victory would su! jugate on values and goals to - Ontario interests.

- Inthe ‘Meantime, neither wing Alliance so far promises any carly through in Quebec or “

In short, so far from bein

. try-wide “alliance” of right wing _new party is, to ‘date; showis; ‘simply perpetuating regi

under a ¢ on banne!

“who vow to qui leadership race, ; ; once more very like 4 refh regionally divi

its own arising from i its current Readership a -afor so Jong.»

campaign. As

St. John’s, it could well have sounded the |

death knell of Sir John A’s party.”

‘At which point Alliance members and “supporters might reasonab! ly have hoped the decimated Tories woul . decent thing by quietly rolling. over and “expiring. -

But according to Clark’s abacus, their

‘narrow defeat of the NDP keeps.the PCs .-

very much in contention as the true alter- native government to the Grits —d ite ‘how being Parliament's fifth

“caucus of just 17 and sal Roe sup: ”

” porters nationwide flocking to the.

finally do the

credentials respectively, against a never-‘- yet-elected Tory backroorn whiz-kid from Ontario, Tom Long.

* . -In this scenario; with the leader to be: ; finally chosen by a vote of ail party mem bers by July 8, the seeds of a West-vs.--* Ontanio split within the Alliance itself. well before the upcoming federal election:

are already visible. ---

~ -..” While eaci candidate is signing

Supporters in opponents” territories;

- major. backing naturally remains in their:

home bases — for or Manning and Day

LETTERS 70 THE EDITOR must include your. @, fuil address ‘and telephone . number. e-mail to: trenshaw@nsnews.c

- As we said.at the star’

more Of the same that day’ to £ of Highlands United Church?)

com: 1138 Lon: