Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-02-09, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9,1994. Citizen^The North Huron CNA P.O. Box 429, 8LYTH, Ont N0M1H0 Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell riio The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $31.03/year ($29.00 plus $2.03 G.S.T.) for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and Foreign. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 Learning the lesson Huron County's decision not to proceed with announcing a list of questionable candidate sites for a new landfill shows the planners of the waste management process are learning from past mistakes. It didn't take long after the first list of candidate sites was announced two years ago, for the eligibility of many of those sites to be questioned. J Landowners and neighbours questioned how the researchers could even have considered many of the sites. Because there was a selection criteria that top quality farmland couldn't be used, many of the sites were on low-lying land near rivers. Those familiar with the sites were incredulous that they could even have been chosen. Expensive drilling showed they were right and all of the possible sites were found unsuitable. In the meantime, however, a good deal of money was spent in testing sites and landowners were put through stressful months wondering what the future of their farms was. The planners moved more cautiously this time. Presented with nine possible sites, they felt that the majority had no possible chance of being suitable. Rather than put landowners through months of hardship and spend thousands more on testing, they decided not to release these sites at all. Instead they will relax the criteria, including better quality farmland in the next round of candidate sites. It makes sense. It saves money. Given the incredible expense and the complicated structure of the search for a landfill site this is a welcome move. — KR New standards for MPs? The demands for the resignation of Toronto-area MP Jag Bhaduria, if they are expanded to all MPs, will bring a new standard of behaviour to politics in Canada. By comparison to what some MPs have gotten away with in the past (another Toronto-area MP Sinclair Stevens comes to mind), Bhaduria's exaggeration of his educational qualifications and his intemperate use of language in writing angry letters seems pretty insignificant by comparison. Wasn't there some question about whether former Prime Minister Kim Campbell had exaggerated her educational accomplishments? There were no huge protest meetings calling for her resignation. There were no meetings similar to the one held this weekend in Bhaduria's riding, the Stevens case or any of the other cases where MPs were charged, even convicted, of wrong-doing. If Canadians are now prepared to set a new standard of purity for all politicians so be it If the uproar is fueled, even partly, because of the colour of Mr. Bhaduria's skin, we should all be ashamed. — KR Victims or victimizers The problem with creating minority groups that are seen as perpetual victims is that it can create in these "victims" a sense that anything they do is justified because of the past injustices against them. Such would seem to be the case in the current debate over whether police should try to crack down on smuggling of cigarettes and alcohol across the border from the U.S. even if it means going onto Indian reserves to do so. Some native leaders are warning there will be open warfare if police venture onto the reserves to enforce the law. In some cases they're just stating the obvious. Under the guise of native self-government some natives have created virtual private armies to protect smuggling operations. Many leaders don't justify these activities, but they realize that they can't control what is happening on their own reserves. What is happening is the kind of gangsterism that terrorizes other people who live side-by-side with powerful crime figures, such as those in downtown crime areas in cities. The problem comes when some people try to justify the smuggling and gangsterism in the guise of native rights. While responsible native leaders condemn what is happening, others see the smuggling as a legitimate reward for natives who have been treated badly by the Canadian system for 200 years. It's a bogus argument and one that endangers the advancement of native self-government in Canada. Assuming the natives do have a right to self government on their reserves, they must still live side by side with Canada and the U.S. Even sovereign countries must adapt their laws to those of their neighbours to some extent. Self-governing native communities cannot flout the laws of their neighbours no matter how ill-used they have been in the past..—KR Photo by Jill Cooper P.S. I thought you should know MP reviews topical issues By Paul Steckle, M.P. There is a new mood on Parliament Hill. The House of Commons opened Jan. 17 and the Chretien government was quick to follow through on its commitments to give a greater voice to Parliament. Debates were held this past month on peacekeeping in Bosnia and Cruise Missile Testing. As well, for the first time in history, Members of Parliament Partici­ pated in a pre-budget consultation in the House. As part of an extensive pre­ budget consultation, Finance Minister Paul Martin has been meeting with provincial govern­ ment representatives, economists, business and labour representatives, and the public. It is certainly a breath of fresh air to listen to rational, intelligent and primarily non-partisan debate. The Liberal government succeeded in our experiment to encourage democratic debate, and perhaps we have even taken Parliament to the next level. In addition to this, the government has scheduled a number of major parliamentary debates on important issues, before decisions are made. Regarding the debate on the Bosnian situation, relative to Canada's involvement, I felt that the discussion was well balanced and forthright. My conclusion after listening to both sides is that we should have a clearer understanding of our mandate under the United Nations. I feel that if we pulled out now, it would jeopardize the lives of many innocent people. The residents of Bosnia, and many children, depend on peacekeepers for food rations as well as safety. The greatest problem facing Canadian Peacekeepers is the fact that there is not a Peace Treaty to enforce. Even in consultation with our Peacekeepers we find a willingness to stay on. The second day of all-Party debate was given to our Defence involvement of the Cruise Missile Testing over Canada's far north. While the original agreement was signed with our American neighbours a decade ago, during the Cold War, many things have changed over the recent years. Both sides to this issue were supported by various members of all parties. I believe as a country, who has shown itself to be the intermediary between warring factions, our best resolve of this issue would be to terminate this experiment. The announcement made on Jan. 25, with respect to the allocations of federal and provincial money for Infrastructure programs came as welcome news. This is a two year program. County, regional and local governments will each identify their own project proposals. As well, monies have been allocated to the various school boards. I urge each municipality, county government and board of education to identify as early as possible, projects you deem eligible for this program. It is estimated that 20-25,000 jobs will be created in Ontario. Already I have heard from many constituents of your concern over the direction the government might take in the formulation of our first budget. I thank you for your views and continue to relay to them to the Minister or Ministers and I receive them. My hope is to establish a forum and develop a process to meet as many constituents as possible, or at the very least provide an opportunity to draw a consensus on the contents of the 1995 budget. My goal for completing this plan is before Nov. 30. Your letters to the editors to our various local papers, in support of this column, would be greatly appreciated and will ensure the continuation of "P.S. I Thought You Should Know." I make it a personal goal to remain objective as I deliver you my views. Letter to the editor THE EDITOR, School boards are faced with a difficult decision in a system already faced with budget cuts - implement Junior Kindergarten, or lose available grant money. Grant money is not free money, it is money from each and every taxpayer. Through previous cuts, increased class sizes, fewer school days and transportation restructur­ ing, budget cuts, are being met, however, there still seems to be lots of grant money available for JK start up. Down the road when start up money is gone, do we cut more programs or pay more education taxes? Maybe, if government funded day-care in the form of JK was the program to be cut, baby­ sitting could remain the responsibility of the parent and an already questionable educational system could get back to the basics of giving our children a proper education. Floyd Allan Wroxeter.