The Citizen, 1993-07-21, Page 4Letters
That first step
Readers seek
justice reform
THE EDITOR,
The recent sentence or more
correctly "slap on the wrist" that
was issued to Karla Homolka is a
clear example of the need for
reform of Canada's criminal justice
system. A sentence of 12 years
apparently translates into four years
until eligibility for full parole. It is
suggested that even less time would
have to be served to receive the
opportunity for temporary passes,
placing this criminal back into the
community. Is this ample
punishment for multiple
convictions of manslaughter?
Over the past several years the
Reform Party of Canada has
surveyed thousands of Canadians
and have established policy that
represents their overwhelming call
for immediate change to our
criminal justice system.
First, the rights of victims must
receive the highest priority in he
justice system.
Second, the Young Offenders
Act should be repealed and
replaced with an act that stipulates
that young people have a
responsibility and an obligation to
society.
Third, as in the Homolka case,
Canada's Parole Act should be
recognized for the threat that it
imposes to law-abiding citizens.
Changes should be made to the
Parole Act to restrict temporary
passes to only non-violent
offenders on work release programs
and violent offenders should not be
granted parole before their sentence
has expired. The Criminal Code
should also be amended to provide
that persons convicted of violent
offenses, such as murder and
certain categories of sexual assault,
be obligated to serve their full
sentence and then be on parole -
with their place of residence known
to authorities - for life.
Surety of sentence is a long-
needed deterrent to crime in Canada.
The real story in the
Homolka/Teale case is that
Canada's criminal justice system
itself is being put on trial.
Through
the Years
From the files of the Blyth Standard,
Brussels Post and The Citizen
12 YEARS AGO
July 22, 1981
Huron-Perth County Roman
Catholic Separate School Board
ratified the contract for 1981-82.
The teachers will receive a 10.42
percent increase over the term of
the contract.
The average salary will rise from
$23,285 to $26,060.
Morris Township prepares to cel-
ebrate its 125th anniversary.
Belgrave Community Centre was
the site for the ninth annual Cook
reunion. There were 109 people in
attendance.
Zehrs in Wingham advertised the
finest grade ''A" beef; blade steaks
for $1.38 per lb. and short rib roasts
for $1.48 per lb.
17 YEARS AGO
July 21, 1976
The Ontario Municipal Board
hearing into the annexation of four
acres took only 15 minutes.
The property was on the south
west corner of Brussels and
belonged to Jack MacDonald,
Albian Emery and J.C. Krauter.
Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Krauter
owned the majority of the land and
wanted it annexed so it would all
be in one municipality for the sub-
Photo by Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot
Canadians deserve much more
accountability from their
investment in the Criminal Courts
of Canada.
Concerned Reformers - Len Lobb,
Clinton; Karl Campbell, Goderlch;
Arthur Whilsmith, Zurich; Leslie
King, Goderlch; Marjorie Pike,
Wingham; Doug Fines, Goderich;
Barbara Carbert, Wingham; Tom
Cornwall, Wingham.
division they planned for the prop-
erty.
Mr. Albian owned a small sec-
tion along the creek and had to be
notified for approval.
The Canadettes were named the
1976 Canadian National Twirling
Champions. Members of the team
were Connie Streich, Pam
Cameron, Susan Brown, Tracey
MacKay, Heather Streich and Julie
MacDonald. Their instructor was
Patti Robinson.
The Brussels Fairgrounds was
the site of a 4-H dairy show clinic
and workshop.
Roth's Food Market in Seaforth
showed the following prices: three
quarts of milk, $1.19; five lbs.
Tide, $1.99; Post Honey Comb,
$.89 and a case of 24 pop, $3.19.
A 23 cu. ft. freezer from Mer-
wood C. Smith Ltd. in Listowel
would cost $289.
24 YEARS AGO
July 23, 1969
Thieves broke into Sparling's
Hardware and made off with a con-
siderable amount of cash and mer-
chandise.
The cash total was $40.30 as well
as some old coins of considerable
value.
Crop growth is slow this season
because of dry conditions. A good
shower is needed by the white
beans.
Wayne McDougall pitched the
first six innings for the Blyth Lions
Bantams. The team lost eight to
seven after having a four. run lead
in the bottom of the first.
Cook's Superior Food Market
advertised the following:six jelly
powders, $.59; five lbs. of mar-
garine, $.95; King Size Tide, $1.59
and 1 lb. of wieners, $1.00.
PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1993.
C The North Huron
itizen eNA
P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152,
BLYTH, Ont BRUSSELS, OnL
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Publisher, Keith Roulston
Editor, Bonnie Gropp
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Let's be honest
The Ontario Medical Association is running an advertisement on
radio stations across Ontario these days that tells the government not to
be worried about cutting $1.6 billion from Ontario medical costs until it
gets health-card fraud under control. The ad is more than a little
dishonest. While health card
fraud is a problem, leading to
millions of dollars being wasted,
the losses caused by this
problem are peanuts compared
to the cuts the government feels Med to be made to cut the Ontario
deficit.
Last week Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Mike Harris
attacked an Ontario Hydro survey that cost $1.3 million as being a
waste of money. "Debt-ridden Ontario Hydro spent $1.3 million on a
public opinion poll that quizzed customers on their love lives," was the
way the Toronto Star led off its story. The story then mentions that
there were technical questions in the 61-page survey but concentrates
the whole of the front page story on the "love life" questions that made
up a small part of the survey.
There are large doses of dishonesty in many of the attacks on the
provincial government these days. Goodness knows there are plenty of
legitimate reasons to criticize Bob Rae's government for its fumbling
performance since September 1990. There are real problems with the
province's "social contract" legislation, such as the fact it calls for fixed
dollar reductions in municipal salary budgets, then says only those
employees with over $30,000 income will be effected, not realizing few
people in municipal government are paid more than $30,000. There are
plenty of honest issues on which to criticize the government.
These issues aren't nice and simple, however. They don't catch the
imagination and cause outrage so easily as the idea of the government
not cracking down on health card fraud or Ontario Hydro wasting a
million on a "love quiz". People who never take the time to read the
details of the serious problems this province faces can still get angry
over these issues that are presented in such simple terms.
More and more it seems to be these simple, bite-size issues that are
turning public opinion in Canada. The pay raise for the Senators, the
Mulroney sale of furniture to the government, these are the issues that
are getting people worked up. Other, larger issues, issues that take time
to study and time to contemplate, are getting lost in the shuffle. We're
as likely to elect the next government on some phony, trumped-up
issue of image as we are on thoughtful judgement of what direction we
would like the country to take.
It's time for some honesty on the part of the critics of the
government. It's also time for ordinary citizens to wake up and refuse to
bite when these tasty "scandals" are dangled in front of us. Only then
will politicians, their handlers and other manipulators begin to treat
ordinary voters with respect. — KR
Extremism breeds extremism
Hard times promote extremist feelings as people seek simple targets
for their frustration and, like many countries in the world, Canada
seems to be seeing an upsurge in troubling incidents of racial hatred.
Canada has been one of the world's most tolerant places to live.
Even today despite the fact there are plenty of individual acts of hate-
mongering, we still manage to have one of the most ethnically diverse
populations in the world living with remarkably little tension.
It may not always be so, of course. Recently there have been
disturbing new cases of race hatred. Extremist white-power groups
have been getting stronger. Ironically in Ontario this extremism may be
being aided by extremism on the part of government agencies. A report
from the Ontario Human Rights Commission leaked to the media last
week, proposed that the "legal presumption of innocence" be set aside
at Human Rights Commission hearings when someone was accused of
racism. Under the proposal, it would be up to the person accused of
racism to prove that they hadn't been racist while the accuser would
have to prove nothing.
Thankfully, Rosemary Brown, chief of the Human Rights
Commission has now distanced herself from the proposal, although she
at first defended it. "Of course I believe in the presumption of
innocence as a basic tenant of our legal system," she said Friday.
Still, the very fact the report existed shows the extremism that is
creeping into more and more government agencies charged with
making the province a better place. Like the extremists of the other
side, the regulators are frustrated and seeking easy solutions. Their
extremism is likely to drive more people into the arms of white-power
advocates. Our government must not relax it's principles, even if the
world isn't changing as quickly as desired. — KR
E ditorial