6 — Wednesday, July 28, 1999 — North Shore News

“IIE case of the Chinese nationals

found adrift in west coast 3.C.

waters has again brought light to bear on the woeful state of Canada’s immigration system.

The decrepit vessel was discovered early last week off Vencouver Island with a cargo of 123 illegal Chinese migrants.

The vessel’s passengers had each paid tens of thousand of dollars for the trip. From all accounts it was a har- rowing journey in a marginafly seawor- thy vessel. But. it presented for them what promised to be the easiest access to North America: the largely unpopu- lated B.C. coastline followed by the largely unmanned and unregulated Canadian immigration system.

“ Subsequent stories. have revealed “among other things that most Chinese

north shore news

VIEWPOINT

illegally through British Columbia abandon their claims and disappear. Little surprise then that all 123 taken into custody from the boat immediate- ly claimed refugee status.

Disturbing, perhaps, but not sur- prising. Canada remains at the top of the immigration sucker list the world over. Its acceptance rate for refugees in most years is 80% compared with 10% in other countries. And once in the country, refugee claimants are free to roam the land until they are called to appear before the Immigration and Refugee Board for a claim hearing.

West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast MP John Reynolds is right: the entire boat- load should be sent back to their coun- try of origin forthwith. If not, Canada will continue to be the destination of choice for illegal immigrants around the world.

ian Tienes CNDSTSE OST BY HRD PRESS ic. ne. cd BeAr, tome

f

refugee claimants who enter Canada

: ‘eatin WYV library needs" Computer upgrade

. Dear Editor: : ;

~, Open letter to Jan Thompson re: $1 million to computer- \. ize. West Vancouver library. :

__.... Thank you for sending me a copy of your July 16 letter to “the North Shore News. I wanted to provide you with some _- information that [ hope will make you more comforzable with “our decisions. The cost of the system itself is approximately $370,600. While we might have been abie to add on to North

’ Varicouver district for something less than that, Ameritech, the -

company that provides their system, would not have allowed us to do so at no charge. The bulk of the remaining $500,000 is “to upgrade our wiring, cabling, data files and network equip- _ ment. This moncy would have to be spent regardless of where and how we get our actual library system software and is the result of many years of minimal spending on the technology. "1 did briefly discuss the idea of cooperation with the chief -, librarian‘ of North Vancouver District some months ago.It was + her opinion that the district docs not have the capacity on its system to add our records: In addition, it is operating with an _ Older system that is no longer being marketed by the software

vendoi:and may well have te be updated in the next few years.

as well oe nt T also discussed with our consultant the con

to connect 0 4

‘costs significantly: “0 _ As you know these costs go on and on and can quickly add “up to more than 4 one-time expenditure... .

~+ T tag would love to be spending this moncy on books but at this stage in the development of the library, that just was not Ann Goodhart, Chief Librarian

‘West Vancouver Memorial Library

‘Harts Shore News, founded in 1959 35 20 independent suburban newspaper anc quested under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the ‘Excise Tax Act, is published each Vednesdiy, Friday and Sumtay ty Worth Shore Free Pres {Ltd and cestributed to every door on the Nextt ‘Store. Canada Post Canadian Publicztions htad ‘Sales Product Agrooment No, 0087233.

Distribution Manager 906-1337 (124)

Creative Services Ditector 965-2151 (127} 61.582 {average circulation, Weanesday, Fritay & Sunday}

“SHOW me where the people are going and I will run ahead and lead them!” So goes that cynical old joke about play-it- safe politicians.

There’s much to be said for such a modus operandi if the politi- ctan’s sole priority is to get re-clected. The only problem being that it seldom achieves any- thing worthwhile. The sad truth is chat grass- roots democracy and genuine leadership mostly mix about as well as oil and water.

Hence Reform founder-leader Preston

.. Manning’s mounting probiems with his

United Alternative initiative to create + body politic able to defeat Jean Chretien's Liberals at the next election in

. 2001-2002.

The UA concept was endorsed in May by a thin 60.5% of Reform party mem- bers voting. Buc since about half the total membership of some 70,600 didn’t bother to vote — presumably because they were content to leave it to Preston — the true UA exdorsement figure was undoubtedly higher. on

Since that spring referendum both the UA and Manning have been having a bumpy ride. .

Fundamentalist Reformers —- fearing

’ the UA goal of a merger with the Tories

would water down cherished Reform principles, some of them criticized by opponents as “redneck” — have orga- nized Grassroots United Against

‘The gorth, Store ews is gublished by Horth Shore. Free Press Ltd.,

Aeasensosanennnnecereranocnorseossnaceanenense

, Classiied Manager SOE-CE22 (8).

Entire contents © 1999 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. ; om 1139 Lonedate Avenue Korth Vancouver,

Reform’s Demise (GUARD) which is conducting a tiding-by-riding campaign against the UA. In the Reform caucus 17 of its 59 MPs have also opposed the pro-

ject. As well, Tory leader

Joe Clark continues to reject outright any merge7 or clection cooperation with Reform, despite a more positive approach to the UA idea by some of his top advisers. And latterly the squab- ble within Reform itself has grown nastier —~ with cries for the head of Manning's top poli- cy wonk, Rick Anderson, after he specu- lated about the renewal of certain Reform MPs’ nominations in the next election. . ;

Then, last week, came Manning’s stern letter which warned party members against a descent into anarchy if they: -

continued bickering over the UA project

and threatened disciplinary action against recalcitrant Reformers... io . Finally, last Friday, Manitoba MP Jake Hoeppner, one of the most vocal UA : opponents, became the first victim of the

threat by being kicked out of the caucus.

for a vicious personal attack on Manning. “Reform party ‘imploding ran a National Post headline.

“Imploding,” I suggest, is unlikely. But what we certainly have is a textbook example of what can happen when cre-

ative leadership confronts shortsighted,

take-no-risks “democracy.” - The chances, anytime soon, of

-Reform’s fate — just a footnote?

Reform again splitting the right-wing vore with the Tories in Ontario and ~ points east, yet still wisining enough seats to oust the Liberals and form a majority government in its own zame alone, are ~ Virtually nil, aon Even truer is the impossibility, in the foresceable furure, of Joe Clark's Tories — presently a mere 19-MF* rump shut -...

_ out west of the Ontario-Manitoba border

— ever winning nearly enough scats to defear the Grits, ignore Reform and rule®:, alone. - . - ; _ So unless the Chretiens, Paul. Martins“... and Allan Rocks are to run Canada for- |" ever, Conservatives and Reformers need each other in the worst way. pooh Not that Manning's preference, an *” entirely new “Conservative Reform” Party, 1s necessarily practical right away.” — given Clark’s intransigence, grassrocts worries about Reform “principles” and.» an clection possible within a year. _ ‘But there are other options under. VA umbrella, includitig running singi Reform or Tory candidates at riding level: and a post-election coalition pact. ~: __ Instead of bitching against Mannin

_ grassroots Reforiners yearning to sim "| “stay'as sweet as we are” should tha:

their stars for a leader who insiste on what MUST be done, one way or anduh: er, to save them from. winding up as quickly forgotten foctnote.to Canada turn-of-millennium history.

— 000: WRIGHT OR WRONG: Succ: measured by how high you fly, high you bounce. - at

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